You light up my world like nobody else
by wildcatinuzuka
Summary: Lance was a constant light to the others. Or the times that Lance helped a friend and the one time they help him.
1. Chapter 1

Shiro stumbled down the hallway, determined to not wake anyone up. He had just woken up from yet another nightmare and he preferred not to wake anyone up over something as petty as nightmares.

He also hadn't slept in the last four nights.

Shiro somehow managed to make it to the kitchen and he dropped into the chair at the table; craving- not for the first time- a piping hot cup of peach sake and a hug from his Oka-san. He leaned forward and rested his head in his left hand.

He refused to rest it in his right hand.

Shiro-not for the first time either-wanted to do nothing more than just cut it off and cast it into space.

It did more _harm_ than _good_.

He just wanted it _gone._

"Shiro?"

Shiro jumped and whirled around; his right arm automatically whirring to life and casting a violet glow in the dim kitchen. Lance stood in the doorway in the royal blue pyjamas that Allura provided for them with a startled look crossing his face; the violet light painting his copper skin.

Lance looked _hauntingly and unnaturally beautiful_ in the dangerous violet light.

Shiro never wanted to see _anyone_ in that light.

Most of all Lance.

Sweet, innocent, gentle, naïve Lance.

"Lance," Shiro breathed out, quickly forcing his arm to shut down, causing the violet glow to disappear and letting the dim golden lights return; the soft golden lights making Lance's copper skin look even more exotic and _naturally_ beautiful, "What are you doing up?"

Lance crosses his arms and leaned against the door, "I could ask you the same question Shiro. You always stress the importance of getting enough sleep so why aren't you following your own rule?"

"I'm doing rounds to ensure the Castle is safe," Shiro said, promptly ignoring the fact that Lance of all people just tossed his own rule back in his face.

Lance just looked unamused, "I know that Coran just did rounds a half hour ago, so do you want to try that again?"

"How do you know that Coran just did rounds?" Shiro asked, _again_ ignoring the question.

"Well Shiro, Coran and I talked about it at dinner and I also heard him open my door to check on me. So, I will ask again Shiro, what are you doing up so late?"

Shiro had to give it to Lance, he was stubborn when he wanted to be.

"I'm fine Lance," Shiro said, looking down and hoping Lance would take the hint and leave him alone, "Just go back to bed."  
Lance's expression told Shiro that Lance won't give up so easily.

"Shiro," Shiro refused to look at Lance.

He had seen what Lance's puppy dog eyes could do to Coran.

It was downright _terrifying_.

Shiro jumped when a hand gently grasped his chin and pulled it up to look into soft worried Caribbean blue eyes; he quickly avoided looking into them for too long, "Shiro look at me."

Shiro finally gave in and let himself be pulled into that gaze that was more than a broken prisoner like him ever deserved, "It's ok to have nightmares Shiro. We don't expect you to be perfect," Shiro stared at Lance with wide eyes, surprised that the teen had nail the problem right on the head.

Lance saw that he had startled the man and he quickly decided to do what his gran hermano Anselmo did when any of the younger ones did- including Lance- got scared or had a nightmare.

Lance quickly pulled Shiro up by his metal hand and started to tug him along.

Shiro yelped, "What the hell are you doing?!"

Lance promptly shushed him and pulled him along so Shiro just resigned himself to whatever fate was in store for him. They travelled for a couple of minutes until Lance finally dragged Shiro into the lounge that connected with the entry points to the Lions hangers. Shiro was quick to note that there were more throw blankets and pillows than there was a week ago.

Then again, Lance and Hunk had hit the open-air market of the latest planet that they had liberated from the Galra. They had come back with so many baskets that Coran, Keith, and Pidge had busted a gut from the swamped look that both teens had but Shiro and Allura had seen the pleased expression that they had on their face.

But that was a story for another time.

Lance had let go of Shiro and he started to gather pillows and blankets; bunching the pillows against one of the arm rests and draping a few blankets over the back beside the pillows. He bent over and fluffed the pillows and made sure any tassels were flipped behind the pillows.

Then Lance laid down, left side out. Back against the pillows and legs slightly spread.

Shiro had _no idea_ what was going on.

"Lance? What are you doing?"

Lance looked at him and patted his stomach, "Come here Shiro."  
"Uh… no."

Lance gave him an unreadable expression, then unleashed what Shiro was damn sure was the most lethal weapon in the universe.

His puppy dog eyes.

"Please Shiro?"

Shiro wanted to stay strong but he just couldn't refuse.

He'll blame the lack of sleep from the last few days later but right now?

Lance's offer was just too tempting to the exhausted man.

"Ok; just stop looking at me with those eyes of yours. You could doe-eye Zarkon into submission," Shiro grumbled as he made his way over to the couch. He waited for Lance to get up so he could lay down and let Lance lay on top of him but Lance just patted his own stomach and Shiro groaned.

"My weight will kill you," Shiro weakly protested as Lance gave his stomach another pat.

"Hunk is heavier than you and I did this-and still do this for him-plenty of times so get your ass over here and lay down."  
Shiro decided not to push his luck with the Mexican teen.

He had seen the teen actually kick Keith's ass.

Was that footprint bruise still on Keith's left ass cheek?

He'd have to ask.

But right know?

Sleep.

Shiro walked over and sat on the couch. He twisted his body and awkwardly laid down in between Lance's legs, resting his head on the teens chest and white hair pooling over the royal blue fabric. Lance quickly wrapped his arms around Shiro; carding his hands through short black hair. Shiro wrapped his arms around Lance, slowly getting comfortable with this unusual situation.

He heard Lance shift around and he felt blankets settling on top of them.

So, that was why the blankets were on the back.

Shiro rested his ear over Lance's heart, listening to the steady beat as it soothed him.

It didn't stop him from being on guard.

"Shiro," Shiro looked up to see Lance looking at him with tender eyes, "It's okay, I'm on guard tonight so get some sleep."

Shiro wanted to protest but the hands carding through his hair reminded Shiro of what his Obaa-san used to do when he was feeling sick, sad, grumpy, or just plain shitty.

It was soothing.

But it wasn't enough.

Lance saw that and decided that he was gonna do what his hermana mayor Bibiana would do when the younger ones went to her for comfort.

He started to hum making Shiro jolt slightly.

" _I remember tears streaming down your face_

 _When I said, "I'll never let you go."_

 _When all those shadows almost killed your light_

 _I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone,"_

 _But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight_ ," Lance sang as he slowly ran his right hand through silky black hair.

" _Just close your eyes_

 _The sun is going down_

 _You'll be alright_

 _No one can hurt you now_

 _Come morning light_

 _You and I'll be safe and sound_ ," Shiro shifted a little and sleepily rubbed his cheek into Lance's chest.

" _Don't you dare look out your window, darling._

 _Everything's on fire_

 _The war outside our door keeps raging on_

 _Hold onto this lullaby_

 _Even when the music's gone_

 _Gone_ ," Lance entangled his left hand with Shiro's right, his warm fleshly fingers intertwined with Shiro's cool metal digits.

" _Just close your eyes_

 _The sun is going down_

 _You'll be alright_

 _No one can hurt you now_

 _Come morning light_

 _You and I'll be safe and sound_ ," Shiro tried to drowsily pull his prosthetic hand away but Lance held firm, trying to prove to Shiro that Shiro was not _dangerous_ and that _Lance wasn't afraid of him._

" _Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh_

 _La, la (la, la)_

 _La, la (la, la)_

 _Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh_

 _La, la (la, la)_ ," Lance sang softly, smiling as Shiro _finally_ gave up and nuzzled the royal blue fabric with his cheek.

" _Just close your eyes_

 _You'll be alright_

 _Come morning light,_

 _You and I'll be safe and sound..._ " Shiro's breathing started to even out and Lance could see steel grey eyes start to flicker shut.

" _Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, oh, oh_ ," He hummed as Shiro finally drifted off to sleep.

Lance pulled his bayard out of under the pillows where he had stashed it when Shiro wasn't watching and had it change into a small pistol.

He'd discovered that the bayard could change weapons at will but that was going to be his little secret, an ace in the hole if he ever needed it.

He had told Shiro that he was gonna be on guard tonight and planned to keep that promise.

/

Coran had just finished his rounds through the Castle and he was ready to go to bed but he had one more thing to do first.

He had to sweep the bedrooms one more time.

He started with Shiro's and wasn't surprised at all to find that it was empty; Shiro was probably on the training deck already.

Hunk was sprawled out all over his bed; sheets, and a yellow quilt that Coran was sure that Lance placed on the teen tangled in his legs and face pressed into his pillow.

Coran huffed a silent laugh and closed the door.

Keith was curled up, an colourful alien quilt that Coran knew wasn't there before spread over top of the teen. Inky black hair pooled over top of the pillows and bangs fluttering with the time of Keith's breathing.

Coran closed the door, careful not to disturb the boy.

Allura was unknowingly mimicking Keith, a Altean throw that Coran hadn't realized was on the ship placed over the princess. Her pearl-white hair pooled around her and spilled over the pillows.

Coran left.

Pidge had slumped over onto their side, legs tangled with a green quilt and the computer shut down, hooked up to the charger.

Coran was gonna have a few words with Lance later.

He made his way to Lance's room to check on the copper-skinned teen but he froze when he realized that said teen wasn't in his room. He had been in his room and Coran knew this because his mountain of blankets and quilts had been disturbed and his bayard was missing from his bedside stand.

Coran started to run around the Castle in a hunt for Lance.

Bridge? Nope.

Training deck? Nope.

Kitchen? Nope.

Blue Lions hanger? Nope.

Coran was running out of places to look when he passed the Lions lounge and froze. He backpedalled and looked in; a relieved and surprised look on his face.

Lance was on the couch, his bayard aimed at the door right at Coran's chest. Shiro was nestled in between Lance's legs and was surprisingly sound asleep.

Coran tried not to panic.

He was never the kind of Altean that wanted to be held at bayard point.

Too nerve-racking.

Lance was quick to lower the bayard with an apologetic look, "Sorry man," He whispered, "I have it set to stun and everything but I don't want anyone to wake him up."

"That's alright young Paladin," Coran soothed, secretly pleased that Lance just set it to stun.

Than he noticed the circles under Lance's eyes.

"Did you get any sleep?"

Lance looked at him a funny look, "What?"

"Did you sleep last night?"

"No…"

"Lance!"

Lance shushed him and looked at Shiro, who thankfully remained asleep.

Coran watched as Lance gave Shiro a soft look and brushed his white bangs out of his face.

"I made a promise to stay on guard so he can sleep safely for tonight."

Coran looked at the cuddling duo with soft eyes.

So, that explained it.

"All right young Paladin, see you in the morning," Coran said softly, knowing that Lance would never break a promise.

Even if it killed him.

"Good night Coran. Sweet dreams," The teen said as he turned his attention back to the Altean. Coran smiled at him.

"Have a good night Lance."

Coran retreated to bed.

Lance looked at Shiro, "Sweet dreams querido corazon."

Shiro slept on.

 _ **Wildcat: I do not own VLD or Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift. I respect the artists and owners.**_


	2. Chapter 2

Pidge typed away on their laptop, rubbing the sleep out of honey-brown eyes and managing to knock wire-frame glasses askew.

They were leaned against Green's paws, working on yet another algorithm for translating Altean and Galra into English. Pidge had been at this for three days now… give or take a few hours.

Pidge knew that they had training tomorrow and they were quick to save their work before the Mice made off with it again… Damn adorable bastards.

Just as they were about to shut down for the night, Pidge caught sight of the background. It was a picture of the Holt family at their last Christmas before the Kerberos mission. Everyone was wearing those ugly Christmas sweaters; Dad and Mom's were matching Santa and Mrs. Claus sweaters and Matt was wearing an elf sweater and hat. Pidge has been coerced into wearing a reindeer sweater and had been a pair of antlers forced onto their head.

Pidge will deny that they were the ones that lace Matt's food with laxatives the next day until the day they die.

Pidge felt tears gather in the corners of their eyes and the laptop lid snapped shut with a resolute click.

They were not going there thank you very much.

Pidge took the laptop to their room and went in search of a snack. The Earth clock on their laptop showed that it was well after midnight and Pidge wanted a cookie or three. They padded their way to the kitchen and managed to make it there without waking everyone or anyone.

Maybe.

They quickly scrambled onto the counter and reached for the jar that rested innocently on the fridge top.

"Pidge?"

Pidge startled and yelped when they started to fall off the counter. They braced for impact on the floor but that never happened. Pidge opened their eyes to find that they hadn't fallen on the floor but they had fallen right into a pair of arms.

Lance's arms.

"I know I'm startlingly handsome but I didn't think it was that bad," He teased as he set Pidge down on their feet. Pidge took the opportunity to look Lance over. Lance was wearing a pair of pants and a tank top. Feet were bare and sweat glistened on his copper skin.

"No, you're so ugly that I fell over," They deadpanned as they brushed imaginary dirt off their clothes.

Lance gave a mock-hurt gasp and placed a hand over his heart, "Pidge, that hurt!"

"Get over it."

Lance laughed for a minute than reached up for the cookie jar and pulled it down with a smile, "Do you want two or three cookies?"

Pidge bounced on their heels, "Three please."  
Lance fished three cookies out of the jar and handed them to Pidge, watching in amusement as they chomped their way through them with the same determination they had when they were confronted with something related to science.

Pidge licked their fingers to get rid of the crumbs when the flavour hit them like a lead weight.

Peanut butter.

These cookies tasted like their Mom's Peanut Butter cookies.

Lance had turned his back to Pidge for two seconds-he swore it was just two seconds- when he heard a soft sob from behind him. Lance whirled around to see Pidge start to cry, crumbs on the corners of their mouth and fat tears rolling down their cheeks.

Lance was quick to react.

"Pidge?! Are you ok?!" Lance yelped as he started to wipe tears away.

Pidge just kept crying, they missed Mom, Dad, and Matt. They were scared, lost, lonely and they just wanted comfort.

Lance was thankful he had a pack of siblings both young and old because he decided to just go with his tried and true method.

He scooped Pidge up and walked to the lounge. Pidge didn't notice the change of scenery and Lance quickly lowered himself onto the couch. He started to rub their back and let them cry it out. He said nothing because he knew that Pidge was the type of person to bottle every emotion and let it stew inside for weeks before it burst.

Pidge rarely cried as a result.

He knew better than to say a word and just let them cry.

They sat there for a good half hour and the sobs slowly turned into sniffles and tiny hiccups.

"Better?" He asked once he was certain that Pidge was calm and they weren't going to take Lance's giblets off.

Pidge just nodded and Lance waited before asking the one question that could be the question that removed his giblets, "Wanna talk about it?" Pidge tensed and Lance wasn't sure if they were gonna talk about it or not so he offered an out, "You don't have to if you don't want to. That's fine and all-,"

"I miss my family," Lance stopped talking, wondering if he heard that correctly, "I miss my family so much; it hurts."

Lance opened his mouth but Pidge just kept going, "I don't know if my dad and Matt are ok and I don't know how mom is doing because I joined Garrison to find them and I couldn't send letters or call without them finding out about what I was doing," Lance saw tears gather in Pidge's eyes, "I don't even know if she is still alive and it hurts not knowing if she is okay or if Dad and Matt are okay or-or," Pidge started to cry again, sobbing as they buried their face in Lance's shirt.

Lance started to rub their back all over again, making soft shushing sounds and holding them close. Lance and the others often forgot that Pidge was only fourteen.

They forgot that they were all children; even Allura even though that her personality and status made it all too easy to forget.

The only adult in this blasted Castle was Coran.

"It's okay Pidge. It's okay for you to cry; you're only fourteen. Keith and I are only seventeen and Hunk is eighteen. Shiro is twenty-two and he needs a good cry," Pidge looked at him with glittering honey-brown galaxies, "It's ok to miss your family, to wonder if they're okay and if they're safe. It's ok."

Pidge started to cry all over again and Lance just let them cry.

/

Allura wanted Pidge's opinion on some documents she had found in the Royal Archives. Coran and Hunk thought that they were unfinished blueprints for a new upgrade on the Lions and Allura wanted a third opinion. They had all thought that it looked like a coding upgrade and not a physical upgrade and wanted the resident coding champion's opinion on the matter.

But they couldn't find the pygmy paladin anywhere.

Allura went to enlist the help of Lance but he hadn't been in his room and so Allura figured that he was doing something else. She started in Green's hanger and wasn't sure to be surprised or not when she found that the hanger was empty. Pidge had been there and Allura knew that because their laptop wasn't sitting on the desk that they had moved into the hanger.

Allura then decided to check the Lion's Lounge and she didn't know what possessed her to look in there but she was glad she did when she walked in on what she thought was the cutest scene in the universe.

Pidge and Lance were asleep; Lance curled around Pidge with them nestled in his arms. Allura could see the tear tracks on Pidge's face and decided it might be safer to wake Lance up first.

She reached over and gently shook Lance's shoulder.

She didn't count on the fact that Lance would react quickly, hand snatching her wrist like a snake and holding firmly.

It wasn't tight or injury worthy but it was definitely enough to startle Allura and make her start to tug her wrist. Lance looked startled himself and he quickly let her go; guilt pooling in his deep-sea blue eyes.

"Sorry," He said as he sat up. Pidge stirred but Lance was quick to solve that problem by spreading a blanket over them.

"It's alright" Allura dismissed, "I startled you first."

Lance observed at the alien princess; watched Allura rub her wrist a few times for a few minutes, and gestured to her wrist, "Let me see it," Allura gave Lance a surprised look and Lance scoffed slightly, "I have at least six younger siblings and six older siblings and all nine of them get into fights and scraps with each other and anyone who offends familia. I've learned my way around a medical kit and I even took at least four different types of first aid, "Lance said as he gently took Allura's wrist in his hands. He softly moved it around and pressed it.

Allura looked at Lance in a different light; she hadn't known that the young human had siblings… or families that big.

"Are all Earth families as big as yours?" Allura asked.

Lance smiled softly at the princess as he continued his exam, "No, most Earth families have up to three children and five is considered huge. Some countries actually have laws against having more than one child and others encourage having huge families," Allura looked utterly fascinated and Lance kept going, "My family is Mexican with Mayan heritage so large families are a slight norm in Mexico but only half of my siblings are full-blooded siblings. I have two step siblings and four-possibly five now- half siblings," Allura looked confused with this so he quickly continued, "My mother remarried after my father died and my stepfather brought my younger sister Marisol, older sisters Bibiana and Marjoram, and my older brother Nevada with him from his last marriage. I had three other siblings since then and Mama is expecting another. Neves was first to join us," Lance chuckled, "Little brat came two weeks early and she was eager to get out. Anso was next and he was tame compared to Neves but Mama and I think that the el chico want to stay inside. Itzel was a regular McClain spitfire at birth, Mama was barely in the delivery room and she was out."

Allura digested this new piece of information about the Blue Paladin as he finished his exam. She was quickly pulled out of her thoughts when Lance drew her exposed wrist to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to it. He smiled softly at Allura as she gawked at him, "I used to do his to my siblings when they making a fuss about a small bruise. It made them feel better."

Allura was about to say something when Pidge groaned. Lance quickly shooed Allura away and she quickly scrambled out.

She peeked in though.

Lance didn't say she couldn't watch.

"Lance?" Pidge slurred as they sat up.

Lance smiled softly at his sleepy friend and pulled the blanket off their legs, "Good morning el dormilón. Did you sleep well?"

Pidge just nodded as they stretched and fixed their hair… tried to anyway.

Lance snatched their hands before they could get their fingers tangled in it. Nevada managed to do it a few dozen times when he tried to comb his hair like that.

It was never fun to detangle.

"I'll cover for you while you get a shower in. I'm willing to bet my sewing kit that you haven't showered in the last few days' kiddo," Pidge was about to protest when Lance gave them a look that Allura was sure was used on his siblings, "No buts Pidge. Go."

Pidge looked grumpy but Allura could see a smile on their lips as Pidge scampered out and Allura quickly dove into a nook to avoid being detected.

She watched Pidge go by and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Until she was yanked out of her hiding spot by someone.

Allura gulped as Lance stood in from of her with his hands on his hips and a smile on his lips.

She could see that he was a big brother now.

No doubt.

"Really Allura? That's a poor hiding place. You're lucky that Pidge doesn't pay attention until they get their daily dose of coffee or this could have turned into a disaster," Allura could only look ashamed and Lance smiled, "Next time, go the other way. Bigger nooks."

Allura nodded and went to leave.

"Allura!"

Allura looked back at Lance who just smiled at her, "Don't approach Pidge until you're certain that you're not at risk of being bitten. It's safer for everyone."

Allura nodded and left.

There was more to the Blue Paladin than she first realized.

Was that a good thing or a bad thing?

 ** _Wildcat: Review please! Am I forgetting anything?_**

 ** _Lance: Disclaimer El Gato Montes! Disclaimer!_**

 ** _Wildcat: Oh Quiznak! Thanks Lance! I don't own VLD. If I did, Lance would get way more screen time._**


	3. Chapter 3

Keith swung the bayard at the Gladiator; determined to get better than yesterday.

Certainly, better than today.

They got into a fight with a Galra fleet and they won that fight but it had also been a disaster. Keith would normally blame Lance but today…

Today Keith had been the screw up.

Keith couldn't get his head in the game and it certainly affected the team. Lance hadn't- surprisingly- called him on it but Pidge had been all too happy to fill the void.

Let's just say that Pidge's tongue was sharper than a heated scalpel going through butter.

Keith was pulled out of his thoughts when the Gladiator slammed its staff into his side, robbing him of breath and throwing him to a wall.

Which wall?

Keith didn't know.

This is bad.

Keith could barely see the Gladiator advance on him, determined to press its advantage.

Keith had a more pressing problem.

Air wasn't coming in.

Keith struggled to get air back into his lungs and was startled when he realized that air wasn't coming in like he wanted.

Keith was scared.

"Keith!"

Keith heard someone but it was so far away.

"Deactivate!"

The Gladiator stopped moving and Keith heard someone come close. He quickly lashed out, reverting to primal instinct.

"Keith! Stop moving!"

He did the exact opposite.

Keith felt his hand make contact with flesh but he was too busy trying to get air back into his lungs. A hand grabbed his own hand and pressed it to a warm surface.

"Listen to my voice and breathe dammit!"

Black spots filled Keith's vision and he decided that listening to the person would probably be a good idea. He tried desperately to follow the up and down motion of the chest that his hand was currently clawing at but air was refusing to come in.

"In, out. In, out. That's it," The voice soothed, no longer yelling but turning into a calming force of nature; reminding Keith of water tumbling over stones.

The black that had previously threatened to consume Keith's sight faded away and air was finally coming in, the crispness startling him for a moment but still greedily gulping it in. He never realized just how much he needed air until now.

When Keith couldn't hear himself pant anymore, he looked up at his saviour.

Lance smiled down at him softly, "There we go; we're ok."

Keith's jaw hit the floor and he wasn't sure that he could peel it off the ground, "Lance? What?"

"I saw what the Gladiator did," Lance asked, his clearly expressive eyes filled with concern, "Are you alright?"

Keith quickly hid his pain and nodded, "Yea, I'm good. Thanks," and tried to prove his claim by standing up.

Well, attempting to anyway. Pain seared across his chest and Keith froze, slowly lowering himself back onto the floor.

Lance looked at him the whole time with a raised eyebrow, "I'm sorry, what was that?" He said sarcastically.

Keith aimed a withering glower his way but he noticed that his sea-blue eyes seemed to glow with worry.

"You feel any nausea? Dizzy, disorientated, dazed, confused? Any sensitivity to light or noise, difficulty concentrating, blurry vision, or headaches?" Lance asked as he looked Keith over.

Keith looked at Lance for a few minutes, mentally going over the list in his mind and putting big, fat, x's in every box, "No."

"Let me know if anything changes, okay?" Lance asked.

"Ok," Keith decided that agreeing with the Blue Paladin might allow him to be left alone a lot quicker.

Lance gave him an unreadable look for a few seconds until he seemed to believe Keith, reached over and gently pulled him up; Keith resisting the urge to hurl a few choice words at him because he was only trying to help.

To his credit, Lance didn't pull an arm over his shoulder but gently pressed a hand on the small of Keith's back instead. Lance led Keith away from the Training Dome and down the hallway but Keith was quick to notice that it was away from the Healer's wing.

"Umm, Lance? What are you doing?"  
Lance looked over at Keith with a smile, startling the Red Paladin with just how soft it really was, "I figured that you would rather lick your wounds in peace than having to deal with the others."

"My room is the other way," Keith pointed out.

His eyebrows disappeared into his hair when Lance gave a soft chuckle, "I'm not stupid enough to leave you alone with injuries such as bruised ribs and a possible concussion; you did hit that wall pretty hard after all. You also have bruises in general and I have a remedy for that."

Keith opened his mouth to protest but couldn't get one out.

He wasn't too sure if he wanted to be alone.

"Here we are," Lance said with a slight flourish, "Mi casa es tu casa for the moment. Sit on the bed and I'll be with you momentarily," Keith really didn't have a choice at the moment so he sat down on the surprisingly made bed and looked around as he stayed out of the way of Hurricane Lance.

The room was surprisingly clean, the floor playing host to a small colourful alien rug, a set of drawers, a nightstand, and Lance was rummaging though what looked like a minifridge. Keith gazed at the minifridge with a small amount of interest and continued to look around.

His eyes widened at the mountain of folded up blankest that rested at the end of Lance's bed and Keith wouldn't lie; it was awfully impressive. There was also what looked like a corkboard and it was covered in pictures.

Keith wanted to get closer but Lance reappeared with a few things, "Ok Keith, I'm gonna check your ribs, I wanna make sure that your ribs are just bruised and not cracked or broken. I need your consent for me to do this, can I do this?"

Keith looked at Lance for a few seconds and nodded slowly.

Lance brightened considerably and slipped on a pair of periwinkle blue gloves, "Ok, I don't wanna startle ya so I'm gonna tell you what I'm doing, ok?" Keith nodded again, "I'm gonna need to pull your shirt off so I can get to your ribs," Keith raised his arms so Lance could pull his shirt off but flinched as pain rippled up his left side. Lance pulled the black shirt off Keith and chucked the bundle of black fabric over his shoulder.

"I'm gonna touch your ribs and I need you to stay still. Can you do that?" Keith nodded, "Can you tell me what side hurts?"

"Left," was Keith's clipped reply. Lance raised an eyebrow at the tone of voice but ignored it in favour of getting to work.

He reached towards Keith's left side and gently brushed the tips of his fingers against the unsurprisingly scarred and rapidly purpling flesh. Keith yelped at the sudden flair of pain and glared at the Blue Paladin like he had committed a crime, "Chill, you mocoso; it's not as bad as I thought. None of the bones are broken but it's swollen as hell. I have some junaberry extract that Allura gave me and it works the same way that Bilberries and Lavender does but first, an icepack will help with the swelling," Keith couldn't help but compare Lance to an extremely excited and knowledgeable child at the moment as he watched the lanky teen wrap an icepack in a small towel and hand it to Keith, "Here, place this on your ribs; this should take most of the swelling down."

Keith slowly placed the pack on his left side and watched as Lance disappeared to the bathroom with a bowl, He heard the water running and Keith wanted to get up to look at the board but Lance got back before he could get up and look at it. He watched as Lance pulled a small bottle out of the nightstand drawer and put a few drops into the water. Lance peeled off his glove, placed a delicate-looking bronze hand into the water, and stirred it. He then placed a few cloths into the bowl and stirred the bowl again.

"Let me have another look," Lance said as he turned back to Keith and reached for the icepack. Keith was unwilling to surrender it but he still handed it over. Lance put the icepack back into the minifridge, put on a new pair of gloves on, grabbed one of the cloths that was soaking in the bowl, and came over. He inspected the ribs for a minute and gently touched it. Keith startled but was pleasantly surprised to note that the pain wasn't as bad as before, "The swelling went down; that's good."

Keith glowered at Lance for a few seconds than Lance gently brushed some of the bruises on that were forming on the front, "I'm gonna wipe the bruises on the front first than do the ones on the back. After that I'll give you a pillow you can lightly press against your ribs and some painkillers."

Keith nodded and wondered how in the quiznak Lance was so good at this. He decided to ask.

"How did you get so good at this?" He asked softly as Lance wiped the bruises on the front.

Lance stopped for a second and Keith wondered if he was gonna answer when Lance started to talk, "I have five male siblings and eight female siblings. Most of them can fight with each other. Thankfully the youngest don't but that only gets rid of three kids plus me so that's eight kids that get into scraps and fights with each other and with bullies- or anyone that hurts their siblings for that matter- on a regular basis. I took first aid to patch up the fighters in my family."

Keith looked startled at that, "You have thirteen siblings? How are you still sane? I would have gone nuts a long time ago."

Lance gave him a look, "One of them is adopted."

"Who?" Keith asked.

"My Co-Ed roommate, Brooklyn. Her parents gave her the iron boot when she got second in the fighter pilots track last year. Mama and Dad took her in soon after that and make her a McClain in all but blood. The gals like the fact there's another Chica in the house. The boys cried foul and want Mama to have another baby."

Keith gave a soft laugh and Lance continued to wipe the bruises on the front. They sat in surprisingly companionable silence until Lance placed the cloth back into the bowl and got a new one.

"I've got to get the ones on your back so hold still," He said as he moved out of Keith's vision. Keith tensed but Lance's hands rubbed soothing circles on his back and by God, that felt _good_.

He never noticed his eyes growing heavier and heavier until it was too late and he closed his eyes.

/

Lance snorted as he watched Keith start to tilt from side to side as he rubbed his back and he started to giggle when Keith fell over onto the bed- thankfully on his left side- with a soft thump.

Keith looked so peaceful like this.

Lance was just glad he had checked for the concussion first as he was talking to Keith in the Dome. He hadn't seen any of the signs but he'll wake Keith up in a couple of hours just to be safe.

He grabbed a couple of blankets from the stack at the end of his bed and spread them over top of Keith. Lance snatched his pillow from the end of the bed and placed it under Keith's head, realizing just how tired the Red Paladin was when he didn't even stir.

Lance also knew that what Keith perceived as a failure today was also bugging him and he had worked himself into exhaustion.

Lance needed to sit Pidge down and talk to them abut the remarks they made today.

Badly.

Keith was his concern right now thought so he set that aside.

For now.

Across the ship, Pidge shivered in fear for some reason.

Once Lance was satisfied and once he made sure that Keith was sound asleep, he turned, retrieved his sewing kit from under the bed, and settled himself on the floor in front of the bed. He pulled out a personal project that needed embroidering and set to work after he took the alarm clock that Coran kindly provided him and set it for two hours from now.

He let himself get carried away in the soothing motions of sewing, slowly creating a pine green vine that curled up the left side on the back of the article of clothing he was holding.

The gentle motion of pulling thread through fabric also allowed Lance to start chatting with Azul. It was something that happened often; Lance might be in a conversation with someone else and Azul might interject herself into the conversation, knowing that Lance was the only one that would be able to hear her.

It had led to a few funny situations.

 ** _"My Pilot,"_** She greeted him warmly and Lance had to suppress a small smile at the warmth in her voice. She always greeted him like his.

" _Hey Azul, how've you been? You took a bit of a beating earlier."_

 ** _"I'm fine; Red and Green are fighting about the battle earlier while Yellow and Black are trying to separate them."_**

 _"Is it working?"_

 ** _"No."_**

Lance snorted at this, Azul is always telling him about the scraps between Rojo and Verde. The two-polar opposite Leon's were always fighting, Rojo's fiery emotions forever clashing with Verde's icy logic.

And everyone else thought that Azul and Rojo would be the two fighting.

He also had it on good authority that it was driving Oscuro and Amarillo nuts.

They chatted for a while until the alarm went off and Lance had to hide his project so he could wake Keith up to ensure that he was okay. He also reset the alarm too; better safe than sorry.

Lance got up and reached over to shake Keith's shoulder. He softly rested his hand on the blanket-covered shoulder and gently shook it. Keith scrunched up his face and made a noise that Lance was sure was a cross between a whine and a moan.

It was freaking adorable.

Lance promptly squashed the urge to coo at the action because he knew that it would inevitably end with Lance getting a broken nose.

"Keith, you need to wake up. I'm just checking on ya due to the fact you hit your head earlier," He explained as Keith gave him an adorable kitten-glare.

"I wanna sleep," The clearly sleepy teen grumbled as he pulled the blankets closer and burrowed his head into the pillow.

"I know buddy," Lance soothed as he ran his hand through silky violet-black hair, "I just want to make sure you're okay."

Keith grumbled again but let Lance run his hands through his hair as he started to fall back asleep.

Lance will never know what possessed him at that exact moment but he decided to sing a Mayan folk song that his Mama still sings to this day. Hopefully.

" _Conex, conex palanxen, xicubin, xicubin yocolquin,_ " He sang softly as he ran his fingers through onyx hair.

" _Conex, conex palanxen, xicubin, xicubin yocolquin,_ " Keith rubbed his head against the pillow with a soft sigh.

" _Xola mayola, xola mayol, ea, ea, ea, o_ ," Lance continued to sing even as Keith surrendered to the softly sung song and let himself drift off. He never heard the door to his room open and a pair of onyx eyes watch the duo as he sang.

" _Conex, conex palanxen, xicubin, xicubin yocolquin_ ," Lance hummed as he continued to sooth Keith.

" _Let's go, let's hurry boys, for the sun is coming out_ ," Lance was aware that Keith was asleep but he kept on singing.

" _Let's go, let's hurry boys, for the sun is coming out_ ," Lance's heart ached as he sang, he loved singing this to the younger ones when he was back on Earth. It was his go-to song for when the younger ones were distressed.

" _Sho-la ma-yo-la, sho-la ma-yol, Ay-ah, ay-ah, ay-ah oh_ ," Oh, how he missed his siblings and his family so much. When Itzel, Neves, and Anso were born and Lance got a chance to hold them, he would sing them this the second they started to fuss and it worked like a charm; every time.

" _Let's go, let's hurry boys, for the sun is coming out_ ," He ended with a soft sigh. He thought for a moment that his voice had a slight, womanly echo to it but he brushed it off as a figment of his imagination.

Lance would be forever unaware of the fact that his mother- Adora McClain- was possessed by the same desire to sing the same song and they sang at the exact same time. Creating one of the most beautiful moments the universe never got to witness.

Lance smiled softly at the peacefully sleeping teen that was stealing his bed and went to make a nest on the floor for himself.

He turned around to go to the bathroom and jumped a mile into the air. Shiro was leaning against the doorframe with a smile on his face.

"Shiro!" Lance whispered-yelled, "Don't do that you damn Space Ninja! I had a heart-attack from you, you damn mocoso!"

Shiro chuckled at Lance's reaction and smiled softly, "Gomen, gomen; I heard singing and got curious. I would've never thought that you would be singing to Keith of all people."

Lance smiled softly, "Contrary to popular belief, I don't fight with Keith cause I want to. He gets under my skin in more than one way."

"May I ask what ways?" Shiro asked softly.

"I don't hate him but I worry about his mental health. Taking everything too seriously and spending too much time alone isn't healthy at all. I may be biased due to my large family and I'm used to constantly interacting with many different types of personalities but I don't believe that being completely alone always is any version of healthy. I challenge him constantly so he can interact with me; it may not be positive interaction but it's still interaction. I was planning on roping Hunk in to help me out soon so Keith can have some positive interaction but this was a good chance," Lance replied as he reached for a soft red quilt that he had purchased for that last planet they had recused and spread it over Keith. Shiro watched the Mexican- or was he Mayan? That was the question of the evening folks- teen fidget with the quilt for a few seconds.

"Can I ask how this happened?" Shiro asked.

Lance smiled softly, moving his hand from the quilt to soft violet-black hair, "I went to look for him after that last battle and Pidge ripped him a new one. I thought It might be a good idea to let him work off some steam then approach him but as I was approaching, the Gladiator nailed him in the chest and sent him flying to the west wall. I… intervened… and saw that he was injured so I did what any decent person would do and tended to him. I did nothing special Shiro."

Shiro resisted the urge to snort at that. Nothing special his ass. What he had witnessed was a clear contrast to the last statement but he decided to let it go after watching Lance yawn as he soothed the still slumbering Keith.

"What's the plan from here?"

Lance looked up at Shiro, "I plan to catch a few winks before that alarm gets us both up again in a couple of hours."

Shiro looked startled, "He has a concussion?"

Lance whipped his head up, "No! Not that I'm aware of and I checked that out first. I just don't want to take the chance that I did miss it and have it cause a problem. Better safe than sorry."

"Oh, ok," Shiro said as Lance yawned again, "Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning, Lance."

Lance didn't need to know that Shiro planned to have Lance excused from training tomorrow morning.

Nope, not at all.

"Ok," Lance said with a soft yawn, "See you in the morning."  
Shiro left the room with a soft smile, the door closing behind him as Lance got into his pajamas and curled up in his nest.

"See you in a couple of hours, Rojo miel."

Keith just kept on sleeping.


	4. Chapter 4

Allura was striding through the castle, eyes never leaving the pad that she held in her hand. She was determined to finish these reports- a task that was practically second nature to the princess- and then head to bed.

Today had been a good day overall.

The humans have really improved and her confidence in them has never been in vain because they have proven themselves over time.

That being said.

She missed home.

When she woke up, ten thousand years out of time and with only her beloved uncle and four Altean mice as the last remnants of the Altea that she had known and loved; Allura honestly didn't know what to think.

So, she didn't.

Allura threw herself into what she believed was now her sole purpose, destroying Zarkon. She threw herself at this one task with everything she had and refused to look back.

Allura refused to look back.

The idea hit her hard in the gut and Allura felt like the world was pulled out of under her.

The pad suddenly fell out of her hands as she sank down onto her knees.

Her whole world was gone.

All she knew.

All she loved.

Gone.

Tears coursed down her elegant cheeks as Allura desperately tried to fight off the unrelenting tidal wave of grief, rage, pain, and heartbreak.

She didn't want this to happen right now.

Allura had to be strong.

She couldn't afford to break right now.

She couldn't break now.

Not now.

She tried to bully her way out of the grief, the pain, the loneliness, but it wasn't working.

"Allura?"

She didn't know who that was but she didn't know if she should run or hug them.

The choice was taken out of her hands when Allura felt arms gently wrap around her and pull her close. She struggled for a few seconds but the arms were tenderly unyielding. A hand rested on the back of her head, playing with her hair just like her father used to do when life became too much.

Allura broke.

That gentle touch broke the wall she had built to cage her grief, her pain, her _heartbreak_.

So, she cried.

Allura lost track of time as she sobbed into the chest of whoever was holding her and losing that sense of time was disconcerting to the princess.

She wept for all the lives lost and wailed for all that she had lost.

She mourned her father and grieved for what they must do to save the universe.

Allura cried.

That gentle hand never left her head or stopped stroking her hair.

It was an anchor that Allura held onto with the same determination that she displayed whenever they encounter the Galra.

The heartbreaking sobs slowly turned into soft crying then into weak whimpers and hiccups as Allura burned herself out. She looked up once she was certain her eyes could produce more tears.

She stared right into the face of the Blue Paladin.

Lance smiled down at her softly as Allura looked at him with wide eyes.

"Feeling better?" He asked as she tried to compute the whole situation.

Allura could only nod as Lance stroked her hair some more, "Good. Let's get off the floor and go somewhere more comfortable," He suggested, "The floor is not a good place to sleep on."

Huh?

Allura was confused and she readily voiced that confusion.

Lance just smiled and scooped up bridal style, smiling and internally laughing at her undignified- Allura would quickly disagree with statement, Lance was sure of it- squeal and quickly relocating to Lance's second favourite spot - inside Blue's cockpit will always be his absolutely favourite place and no one can tell him _otherwise_ so don't even try- in the Castle, the Lion's Den as Lance affectionately calls the lounge that connects the Hangers together.

He gently dropped Allura on one of the couches and turned towards a wood chest they had gotten a few markets ago to locate that fluffy blue blanket that he and Hunk had found at that last open air market that they had hit. Lance and Hunk had agreed that the blanket was one of their best finds if they did say so.

Allura watched the Blue Paladin rummage through the folded stack of blankets that rested in the beautiful wood trunk that was home to all the blankets that resided in the lounge. She watched as he was soon up to his elbows in cloth as Lance resorted to his sense of touch to locate what he was looking for.

"Nope, not that one. Na ah, not that one, too rough. Not that one, not the right texture. Oh, hell no, not right at all," He muttered as he shifted his arms around and Allura couldn't help but giggle at his antics, "Where did I put it? I know it was in here. Pongo la maldita cosa en aquí cuando terminé con ella, estoy seguro de ello."

Allura tilted her head to the side as she listened to the strange language that Lance seemed to speak whenever he got nervous, excited, or riled up.

"Oh, para llorar! ¿Donde el infierno es ese puto manta?" Lance growled as he continued to dig through the chest. If she had to guess his current mood, she would bet on riled up.

"Ah ha! ¡Te encontré, hijo de puta!" Lance cried in triumph as he pulled out what Allura was sure was the fluffiest blanket on this side of the universe.

It was a dark blue that shined in the light and by the gods, was that thing _fluffy_. Allura couldn't even describe how utterly fluffy that thing was. Lance carried the fluffy monster over and draped it over her.

Lance giggled at the fact Allura looked swamped in the mountain of blanket and he could only see her shimmering blue and violet eyes because he was looking for them.

"Comfy?" He snickered as Allura glowered at him and got her face free. He watched as she wiggled around and got comfortable on the couch.

"Yes, thank you," She said, the warmth that the blanket provided making her sleepy.

They sat in silence for a few minutes and Allura was _sure_ that Lance was asleep when he spoke and startled her, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Allura stared at him from the safety of her blanket so Lance just kept talking, "I understand if you don't want to talk about it but I have an adopted sister that has depression and social anxiety and she cries when the world becomes too much for her. Brooks _always_ feels better once she talks about it; it always amazes me how sensitive she is to the needs and problems of others but I expect nothing less. She has always been like that, Mama had said that she was empathic," Lance was rambling now and wasn't that cute? It reminded Allura of the servants' children when they met her and her father.

Putting the lid back on that rapidly depressing thought.

"Allura?" Bronze hands reached up and tenderly cupped her face, using thumbs to wipe crystalline tears.

Allura will never know what made her start talking, those soft, understanding eyes or the fact that the human boy- no, not a boy, he was a man- cared so much but she talked, "I miss my home."

Lance smiled softly and she kept going, "I miss Altea. I miss the sand beneath my toes, the rock storms at night that one could make music too. I miss the junaberry fields as they bloomed, the children running around the palace- the pack of adorable troublemakers they were- and the ever-growing horde of parents trying to corral them before they destroyed something. I miss the noise that constantly filled the Castle as all the servants and the workers tried to get everything done, I miss going outside and seeing the blue skies and green grass, watching the Paladins do their formations in the sky. I miss… I miss…,"

Lance waited her out, waited for her to say what he was sure she was going to say and she said it; tears falling all over again, "I miss home!" She wailed heartbrokenly.

Allura thought she was all out of tears.

Nope, apparently not.

Lance pulled her back into his arms with that same gentleness Allura was sure he used on all his siblings when they were distressed.

Lance just held her as she cried and spoke once she had calmed down enough to be heard, "It may not be much, but Earth is similar to Altea. Once we stop there, I could take you to meet my family. They live on a giant farm a good three hours across Garrison County; I could take everyone there. You can meet my siblings and parents."

Allura was trying to compute what Lance just said.

Lance wanted to take the team to meet his family?

Lance kept talking, taking Allura's silence as a bad thing, "You don't have too if you don't want too. I know that you'll be busy with diplomatic missions but I-,"

Allura started to cry, that offer was the kindest offer she had ever had and Lance _freaked out_ , "Allura?! Are you ok?! ¡Dios mío! Creo que le rompí! ¿Estás bien?!" Lance asked as Allura cried.

Allura twisted her hands in Lance's shirt, "Thank you," Lance stopped freaking out and looked at her with wide deep-sea sapphire blue eyes, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

She started to cry again and Lance just held her.

Lance held her as she cried herself to sleep, safe in the arms of the one Paladin that knew her pain better than everyone else.

/

Allura was many things in Lance's eyes.

Strong.

Brave.

Determined.

Young.

The last thing struck a cord with him.

Allura looked no older than Nevada, Brooklyn, or himself but she carried herself with the same feline-like grace as Anselmo, Bonita, and Bibiana did. She always made herself out to be something akin to a stone golem but Lance knew better than that.

He was currently sitting on the couch, Allura's head resting on his lap. Her pearl-white hair was pooling on his thighs and cascading down his legs as he stroked her head with one hand.

The other hand was resting on his bayard.

His eyes darted around, waiting for shadows that would never come and he knew this.

He didn't care.

Lance hadn't honestly expected this situation to happen. He was walking down the halls, determined to work on his latest sewing project when he saw Allura crying in the hall. His inborn and sibling-induced desire to protect and help had reared up when he saw her break just like Brooklyn did. He knew then and there that he wasn't going to stand by and let Allura _suffer_ alone.

Lance knew that his overprotectiveness would be the death of him but he didn't care. He did what came to him naturally and that was care for others.

Pidge would gladly tell anyone that asked that once Lance and Hunk had a victim to coddle, love, and care for, they refused to let them go until they felt like they would explode from all the loving and coddling that they did.

Brooklyn called them tag-teaming mother-hens.

Pidge called them evil demons that needed a hobby.

Coddling, protecting, and loving _was_ their hobby.

Deal with it.

When Lance had arrived at the Castle, he and Hunk had been glad they had found a kindred spirit in Coran. Coran was a coddler and protector like they were and the two humans had gladly welcomed him into the Order of Protective Coddlers.

Pidge now _ran_ whenever those three were in a room together and all three of them were in a coddling mood.

Just ask Shiro and Keith what happens.

Mama had once told him that he would either be a soldier or a doctor- or a nurse- with that protectiveness and caring instinct. She had also told him that his instinct was going to get him killed.

For now, though, he had a Princess to look out for.

Lance often wondered about how the Princess saw him. He knew that their first meeting was screwed because his mouth decided to ditch the filter.

Hey, he flirts when he's stressed, cut him some slack here.

His brain to mouth filter had decided that flirting with Allura had been a smart idea and his ears suffered for it. It didn't help that this war was extremely stressful and his filter all but vanished when he was stressed.

Hell, he had even flirted with his flight instructor when he had that 10 pm flight test.

Let's just say that wasn't his best-planned idea.

But he wished that he could go back in time to change how that meeting went. Maybe then the two would be a bit closer.

Lance decided that it would be safer to treat Allura like an older sister. She had earned it, going through a war, losing her planet and father in one fell swoop. Lance knew that he would have broken a long time ago if he went through the same thing that Allura went through.

He wasn't as strong as she was.

Don't tell Hunk he just thought that.

Lance turned his attention to Allura's hair.

"Lance?"

He jumped, snatched his bayard, and aimed it. Hunk was standing in the doorway, his hands in the air in the universal term of 'Don't fucking shoot me, please! I am unarmed!' Lance lowered his bayard with a sigh.

"Hunk!" Lance whispered-yelled, "You gave me a heart attack! And here I thought that Shiro was the ninja of the team."

Hunk gave a soft laugh, "Minamina. I was looking for Allura, Coran couldn't find her anywhere and he asked me to help look for her."

"You found her oso de cinamomo," Lance replied softly, smiling when Hunk gave a soft chortle at the affectionate nickname.

"That is never going to go away, is it?" He asked as he approached the duo sitting on the couch.

Lance gave a soft laugh as he resumed stroking Allura's hair, "Nope," He said cheerfully as Hunk snorted and sat down beside him.

"Okay, you keiki," Hunk laughed.

The silence that descended was both warm and familiar. It was a kind of silence that didn't demand conversation but allowed the two men to enjoy the soft and companionable warmth the other provided.

Hunk watched as Lance tended to Allura and smiled softly, "I take it that your nature struck again?"

Lance had snorted when he said that but he wouldn't deny it either.

Hunk had the odd feeling he had forgotten something and he was proven right when Coran came careening in with the force of a hurricane with panic in his eyes.

Hunk groaned, now he remembered.

Coran opened his mouth but saw that someone was asleep under the blanket that was on and beside Lance and lowered his voice, "I can't find the princess anywhere!"

"Coran…,"

"What if the enemy got in and kidnapped her?!"  
"Coran…,"  
"We have to go on alert immediately!"  
"Coran!"

Coran turned to look at Hunk, the dark-chocolate coloured teen snickering, "Look at Lance."

The ginger Altean turned to look at the bronze-coloured teen with curiosity and panic in his shimmering violet-blue eyes. Lance was quietly giggling and he pulled the blanket that rested on his lap to reveal the sleeping Allura.

Coran tried to say something but Lance beat him, "Allura has been here the whole time. You've been panicking for nothing."

Coran was really trying to compute this.

He really was.

His mind decided that this situation he put himself in was funny and Coran started to laugh softly. Hunk joined him and Lance resumed his quiet giggling.

They giggled for a few more minutes before they stop, the last of the chuckles and giggles dying off.

It was a miracle that Allura didn't wake up with all the laughing they did.

Coran sighed and reached for Allura, "Might as well put Allu to bed," He said with a soft smile. Lance unwrapped Allura from the blankets and Coran started to pick her up when Lance started to come up with them. Lance let out a soft squeal- and he will be the first to admit that the squeal was definitely high-pitched- and tried to stop his ascent.

Also, he wanted to prevent the needless destruction of his only pair of pants.

Hunk was losing it in the back as Coran lowered Allura back down and Lance tried not to giggle. Coran looked like he was at a loss and Lance started to detangle her fingers from his pants.

Damn, the princess had a good grip.

Reminded him of Bibiana when she slept and had dug her fingers into something.

Lance finally got his pants free but as Coran started to pull her up again, she twisted her hand into his shirt.

"Well, I believe you'll be coming with us Lance," Coran observed as Lance stood up to prevent his shirt from ripping and Hunk continued to softly laugh in the back.

"That's fine," Lance said as they started to walk off. Lance turned slightly and stuck his tongue out at Hunk.

Hunk started to laugh all the harder as they walked away.

It was music to Lance's ears as they left, the joyful noise fading away as they traveled through the hallways of the Castle.

 ** _Wildcat: Hey, Wildcat here. This chapter is actucally a pair. The next chapter takes place right after this one. I have both ready. Also tell me if you want the english translations for the Spanish because I will post it too._**


	5. Chapter 5

Coran gave a soft huff as they walked away from the Yellow Paladin's joyful laughter, Allura safely cradled in his arms and the poor Blue Paladin trailing after them.

The ginger Altean will be the first to admit that having children to look after again was a blessing for the man. He was always fond of children and their antics.

Shiro, Allura, and Keith were probably the least child-like but they all displayed childish behaviour occasionally, like right now with Allura.

Pidge and Hunk were similar to the previous three but they were more willing to indulge in their youthful side. This indulgence often led to some very funny situations.

Lance… had no inhibitions about being child-like.

Some of the situations he found Lance in made Coran want to bubble wrap the human, lock him away, and feed him sugary foods.

Lance was the most adventurous, competitive, energetic, and creative of the five Paladins.

It reminded Coran of the last Blue Paladin.

And Coran stopped that ship convoy of thought before it spiraled out of control.

He didn't want to go there thank you very much.

Coran stopped once he realized that they had arrived at Allura's room. The door swished open and the small group entered the room.

Lance suppressed a small gasp as he saw the Princess's room for the first time. It was painted in a soft blue, bright blue lighting streaking the floor and the walls. Sheer champagne-coloured fabric draped down from the ceiling and the walls above the bed. Lance noticed a make-up stand a little way from the bed, blue light softly washing over the mirror and the bench.

It was a beautiful room overall.

Coran strode over to the bed and Lance followed him.

Allura did have his shirt in her fist still.

He really didn't have a choice in the matter.

Not if he wanted to keep his only shirt.

Lance set to work on freeing his shirt from Allura's fingers while Coran worked on pulling the blankets up with his toes.

It wasn't working.

At all.

Lance finally huffed and stopped Coran, "Here, hand me Allura. This isn't working."

Coran was a little reluctant but he handed Allura over to the Blue Paladin, watching as the teen handled the Princess with the same care that Coran once saw Alfor handle her when she was a little girl.

There was that convoy of thought again.

Time to hit the brakes.

Coran turned to the bed, pulling the blankets back so they could get her in the bed easier.

"Allu, I need you to let my shirt go please," Coran heard Lance say as he pulled the sheets back. The ginger Altean turned around, staring as he watched Lance detangle Allura's fingers from his shirt with all the gentleness of a brother or a father.

He couldn't help but think of Alfor.

How Alfor used to cradle Allura in his arms like Lance was doing.

How Alfor looked at her with the same tenderness that Lance was doing.

Coran really needed to stop.

Now.

He managed to pull himself out of his dark thoughts and watched as Lance managed to get his shirt free from Allura's tight fingers and lowered her onto the bed. Allura stirred and grumbled, settling into the bed with the adorable slapstick ease of a toddler. Coran and Lance tried not to laugh as Allura finally settled down and drifted back off.

Lance will never say this to the Altean Princess's- or was it Queen's? Huh, that's the question of the evening folks. - face but when she was half asleep, she was freaking adorable.

He wanted to keep the family jewels after all.

Coran reached out and brushed a bang out of Allura's face.

She and Alfor looked so similar. She had the same aristocratic cheekbones, the same shimmering galaxy-blue eyes, star-light white hair, the same milk-chocolate skin. The only difference was their cheek marks and their gender.

Coran sometimes got the feeling he was looking at Alfor.

He had to stop this.

But he can't.

He needs to leave.

Now.

Lance startled when Coran took off in a sprint. He turned to check on Allura and once he was certain that she was still asleep, took off after Coran.

Something was wrong.

The hallways blurred together and Coran lost track of where he was.

Tears fell down his face.

Alfor.

He needed Alfor.

His feet carried him to a room he had been avoiding for a long time.

Alfor's room.

Down the hall, take a left, then a right halfway down the hall, then another left.

There it was.

The door swung open and the distraught Altean bolted in.

The room was just as he remembered it. The walls were a gentle cream and the champagne coloured sheets were still rumpled from that morning, the soft blue curtain pulled back to let the no longer existent morning light in, everything was how they had left it.

Everything was how they had left it.

The only thing missing was Alfor himself.

"Coran?"

Coran turned around and saw Lance standing at the door, unsure if he should enter or not.

The amount of respect that the advisor had for the Blue Paladin just went up even more.

"Come in, my boy," Coran said, somewhat desperate for the internal light that only Lance seemed to provide. Lance walked in, careful not to disturb anything as he did.

Neither one said anything for the longest time. Coran watched as Lance traced the path and pattern of the curtain but never once did he move it.

He never moved anything.

Coran tried not to cry. He really did.

"What was Alfor like?" The question came out of the blue and Coran startled.

"I beg your pardon?"

"What was Alfor like?"

Coran struggled to answer for a second but had a good answer, "He was a good king. Kind, gentle, understanding. He loved to help others. He was diplomatic and fair, reserving judgment until he had all sides of a situation," Coran started to cry, tears coursing down his face, "He was caring, a great parent and a great-," He choked on his own words.

Lance strode forward, taking the man in his arms.

Coran wrapped his arms around the teen. Holding onto the teen that reminded him of Alfor.

Lance didn't even try to shush the man, letting his shirt get soaked with the tears of a man who was finally acknowledging his pain and letting himself grieve.

They sat there for a little while, time a vague concept to them as Coran cried his heart out for the planet, people, and king he had lost ten thousand years ago.

For the man, he had cherished ten thousand years ago.

For the man that ruled his heart.

That _he_ loved.

That loved _him_.

That loved his _daughter_.

That loved his _people_.

That _loved_.

Lance moved his left hand to his hair, running his fingers through beautiful auburn hair. Coran cried harder at the soothing action.

Alfor used to do that. Run his milk-chocolate fingers through auburn hair as they laid in bed together after a long day, the curtains drawn back and the lights in the night sky turning Alfor's white hair into a pool of moonlight on the pillows.

Lance continued with the soothing action, not caring if they have been there all night. He just wanted to be there for the Altean man that had been there for the humans when they needed him to be.

Coran eventually ran out of tears and leaned against Lance.

"Come on, the lounge is close by. I don't think you want to sleep in here," Lance said as he started to get up. Coran pulled him back down and Lance made a startled noise.

Coran looked at him with sad eyes and said in a wavering voice, "I want to stay here."

"Okay," Lance soothed, "Do you want me to stay?"

Coran gave a small nod. Lance smiled softly and led him to the bed. Coran pulled off his shoes and climbed into the bed, Lance joined him after he pulled off his shoes as well. The covers were pulled over top the two and Lance pulled Coran back into his arms, smiling as Coran rested his head on Lance's arm and started to drift off.

Lance started to run his fingers through Coran's hair again.

 _"You would not believe your eyes_

 _If ten million fireflies_

 _Lit up the world as I fell asleep_

 _Cause they'd fill the open air_

 _And leave teardrops everywhere_

 _You'd think me rude_

 _But I would just stand and stare,"_

Lance sang out as he stroked auburn hair. This always worked for his siblings. Including the older ones, with surprisingly good results.

 _"I'd like to make myself believe_

 _That planet Earth turns slowly_

 _It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep_

 _Cause everything is never as it seems_

 _Cause I'd get a thousand hugs_

 _From ten thousand lightning bugs_

 _As they tried to teach me how to dance_

 _A foxtrot above my head_

 _A sock hop beneath my bed_

 _The disco ball is just hanging by a thread_

 _(Thread, thread...)_

 _I'd like to make myself believe_

 _That planet Earth turns slowly_

 _It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep_

 _Cause everything is never as it seems_

 _(When I fall asleep),"_

Coran gave a soft grumble and curled a little closer to Lance.

 _"Leave my door open just a crack_

 _(Please take me away from here)_

 _Cause I feel like such an insomniac_

 _(Please take me away from here)_

 _Why do I tire of counting sheep?_

 _(Please take me away from here)_

 _When I'm far too tired to fall asleep_

 _(Ha-ha)_

 _To ten million fireflies_

 _I'm weird cause I hate goodbyes_

 _I got misty eyes as they said farewell_

 _(Said farewell)_

 _But I'll know where several are_

 _If my dreams get real bizarre_

 _Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar_

 _(Jar, jar, jar...),"_

Lance smiled as Coran started to drift off.

 _"I'd like to make myself believe_

 _That planet Earth turns slowly_

 _It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep_

 _Cause everything is never as it seems_

 _(When I fall asleep)_

 _I'd like to make myself believe_

 _That planet Earth turns slowly_

 _It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep_

 _Cause everything is never as it seems_

 _(When I fall asleep),"_

Coran finally drifted off with a soft smile and a snore.

 _"I'd like to make myself believe_

 _That planet Earth turns slowly_

 _It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep_

 _Because my dreams are bursting at the seams,"_

Lance hummed the end of the song as he watched- bayard in hand- over Coran tonight.

The man that had lost more than a planet and a people but a king that loved him just as much as Coran loved him.

/

Allura awoke in her room alone.

The fact she was in her room was enough to make her confused.

The last thing she remembered was that she had fallen asleep with her head in Lance's lap. She started to look around and saw the blanket that she was wrapped up in the lounge in an unkempt pile at the foot of her bed.

Allura decided that getting up and ready for the day would be a good idea. She went through her morning routine and picked up the fuzzy blanket, folding it before she headed out the door.

The trip to the meal hall was normal until she arrived. Hunk, Pidge, Keith, and Shiro were already there; eating something Hunk whipped up and talking about training.

Lance and Coran were missing.

"We're late!"

"I know Number Two!"

Nope, found them.

Coran and Lance careened into the hall with the grace of a pair of newborn Clanuals.

Lance looked like he hadn't slept at all. Bags that Allura knew that the teen didn't have before were more prominent. Allura made a mental note to ask when was the last time the teen slept.

Coran on the other hand, looked like he had the best sleep of his life. He practically glowed. His clothes were impeccable and his mustache shined.

"Good morning everyone," Coran beamed at them as he grabbed the plates that had his and Lance's breakfast.

"Good morning," Allura greeted them with a smile as Lance took his plate from Coran with a grateful smile and tucked in.

Allura wanted to know what was going on between the two but Hunk suddenly said something that definitely caught her attention, "So Lance, is your shirt ripped?"

Coran and Lance obviously knew what he was talking about because Coran started to laugh hysterically and Lance choked on his food.

Coran reached over and patted the teens back until he swallowed his food.

"Hunk! ¡¿Qué diablos?! ¡No puede hacer una pregunta como ésa delante de todos! Obtendrá la idea equivocada y no quiero!" Lance yelped.

"Seriously, did you rip your shirt?"

"NO!"

"I have the sudden desire to stick a translator collar on you," Pidge said dryly as they finished breakfast.

"Vete a la mierda, que mal pequeño gremlin," Lance snapped at them. Hunk lost it at that point, clearly the only person that understood him.

"How do you know what he is saying?" Coran asked Hunk with a laugh.

"Trust me, when you spend plenty of time with Lance and his family, you learn Spanish really quick. Brooklyn had over half of the Spanish language down when we left Earth," Hunk said, a laugh in his voice.

"Okay," Coran said, "We'll take your word for it."

Allura smiled at the usual chaos but pondered a question that she had asked herself before.

Unaware that Coran, Shiro, Pidge, and Keith were also asking the same question.

Was there more to Lance than they realized?

 ** _Wildcat: Hi folks! Here is the second part of the pair I mentioned earlier. I hope I did Coran justice._**


	6. Chapter 6

Hunk had always been a nervous child.

Just ask his two moms.

Mama had said something about general anxiety disorder and how that meant that he got really nervous at random times.

That had been proven true.

Way too many times.

It would have gotten worse at the Garrison if Lance wasn't there. Hunk had known Lance for most of his life. He and his moms would go to the McClain farmstead and the local bazaar to buy fresh produce and meat. It was during one of these excursions when he met Lance.

Lance had been helping with the sheep at the local Bazaar when Hunk had seen him. The scrawny thirteen-year-old with dirt all over him.

It had been _everywhere_.

They had hit it off right away and Lance and Hunk were practically joined at the hips after that.

One time, literally.

Lance still blames Anselmo.

Only that one would take the time to sew their pajamas together.

Hunk is betting on Nevada.

He's the fashion designer in the family.

He could totally do it.

Back to the matter at hand.

Hunk's anxiety had gotten the better of him a few times; once because he thought Lance would no longer be his friend if he ever found out about his anxiety.

Lance blew that notion right out of the water.

Rather spectacularly, Hunk might add.

When he had walked on Hunk having a panic attack, he literally just walked over, sat down, and led Hunk through a grounding exercise like it was nothing.

Turns out is was nothing to him. Lance's stepbrother Marjoram had general anxiety disorder as well and once Lance had learned that he had it, he hit the internet and the psychology textbooks to learn about it and how to help calm Marjoram down.

Lance introduced Hunk to the wonders of knitting, sewing, drawing, and- this one surprised Hunk- bobbin lacing. Hunk had originally turned to cooking, machines, and all thing science as a way to cope.

Bobbin lacing and knitting still elude Hunk as skills but he was getting rather good at sewing and drawing if he did say so himself.

Once they went to the Garrison, Lance walked Hunk through many of his anxiety attacks and that ability to calm people down transferred over to Brooklyn- as well as the hobbies, she took to all of them like a duck to water, especially drawing- once they had figured out that she had anxiety as well.

But all the grounding exercises, hobbies, and relaxation techniques in the world aren't gonna help if you are a key member of an intergalactic war.

Everything that Hunk was familiar with was ripped away from him in an instant. He somehow managed to keep the anxiety from truly hitting him but Hunk suspected that it was because he was cooking constantly for the team- lest they suffer from the wrath of Coran's cooking and wasn't that a scary thought? – and that helped, giving something to do with his hands always was a way to keep the anxiety at bay.

He actually wasn't in the kitchen today because Shiro had told him to let someone else have a try. Had said something about letting him have a break because cooking for all of them must be stressful and Hunk frankly deserved it.

Bull in Hunk's opinion but he let Shiro have the kitchen.

He also had the suspicion that someone would get them if something went wrong.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

So, Hunk decided to go work on Melemele. She had taken a beating earlier and he wanted to make sure she wasn't damaged.

He worried like that.

Hunk was walking down the hallway and his thoughts turned to the war.

Like they always do.

He thought about Shay and the Balmera.

About the lives that they have saved.

And the lives they had taken.

That took his breath away.

Hunk and Lance wanted to believe that the fleets that they had defeated had little to no people on them but they weren't fools.

No matter what Keith said about Lance.

His heart started to race as he tried to breathe.

What would his Mama and Mom say if they found out that he killed people?

Would they disown him?

Never want to see him again?

Would Earth see him as a hero?

Or a killer?

Killer.

Oh, God.

He was a Killer.

A murderer.

A monster.

He suddenly got nauseous, sweaty, and terrified.

Would the Galra come after them?

Put them on trial once all of this was over and find them guilty?  
Kill them for every life they had taken?

Or worse, send them to a prison filled with Galra that would kill them in their sleep?

Send Shiro back to the ring?

Kill everyone in cold-blood?

Oh, God.

Was death at the end of all this?

They were protectors, saviours but the universe might think differently.

The Galra might make them pay for blood with blood.

They were war criminals.

Criminals.

He was too hot, too dizzy, trembling like a leaf, his chest was on fire.

Hunk can't breathe.

He closed his eyes, trying to draw in some air.

He was too scared to breathe.

"Hunk?!"

Finally, a familiar voice. He knew that voice.

"Ok buddy, breathe. You're safe. There are no enemies here. Breathe."

Hunk tried- he really tried- but air wasn't coming in. A small, thin hand grabbed his right hand and rested his palm on top of something that was warm, soft, and moving.

It was moving up and down.

Hunk was never more thankful for that simple movement.

"Match your breathing with mine, can you do that? Can you do it for me?"

Hunk gave a tiny, jerky nod and started to mimic the movement under his hand.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

He concentrated on the voice that kept talking, "You are doing so good querido corazon. So, good. Just keep your eyes closed and breathe. In, and out. Just like that. You're doing great Hunk. When you're ready, open your eyes and look for five things that you see. I want you to say them out loud, can you do that?" Hunk nodded, "Good, when you are ready querido hibisco."

Hunk slowly opened his eyes and started to recite what he saw, "Lance, blue shirt, brown skin, grey wall, blue light."

"Very good oso de cinamomo, now can you tell me four things that you can touch?"

"Lance, floor, skin, wall."  
"Well done mi amor; can you tell three things you can hear?"

"Lance, Castle, echo."  
"You're doing great Hunk. Can you tell me two things that you smell?"

"Cinnamon, smoke."

"Good job; how about one thing you can taste?"

"Sweat."

Lance smiled softly, "Well done ángel."  
Hunk smiled tiredly at Lance, glad that the technique had worked like usual. He was calmer now and he knew that Lance was gonna be Lance and care for him.

It was Lance, would you expect anything less?

Lance slowly helped him up, "Where do you want to do? My room or the Lion's Den?"

"Your room."

"Alright."

Lance intertwined their hands together and led them back to the room that Lance had made into his little sanctuary on the Castle of Lions.

It never ceased to amaze Hunk how Lance had taken a bunch of random alien things and turned his room in a place that felt homey. The room had picked up a few things since the last time a person other than Lance was in it.

The bed had a few new blankets and pillows that Lance was putting to good use, new pictures to the corkboard that they had discovered a few trips to the Space Mall ago, a small chest – the one that had accompanied the bigger one that was in the Lion's Den- was sitting at the bottom of the bed.

A poncho that an old grandmother from a planet they had liberated was hanging on a hanger on the wall across the bed and a woven tapestry that depicted a river scene that Lance had gotten from a prince that had it commissioned for the Blue Paladin was hanging beside it.

Lance's face when he had gotten the tapestry was priceless.

It had an honoured spot on Hunk's own corkboard.

The room almost felt like home.

Almost.

Lance gently shoved Hunk towards the bed and he sat down as Lance got to work. Pillows were thrown Hunk's way and he caught them with ease, arranging them into a vague nest. Blankets were next and those tended to be a bit more of a problem.

Unfolding mid-air qualifies as a problem, right?

One blanket- bright pink that shimmered in the light and was fluffy, not as fluffy as the blue one in the Den but definitely high on the fluff scale- unfolded and nailed Hunk in the face.

"Oh, shit. You okay?"  
"Yep, just have some fluff in my mouth."

"Oh, good."

Lance came over soon after that and helped arrange some of the blankets. Finally, the nest was done to Lance's satisfaction and the bronze coloured teen climbed in.

He laid on his back, legs slightly spread and arms open. Hunk gladly laid down, head resting on chest, ear resting on top of Lance's heart and letting the soothing rhythm sooth him.

"Wanna talk about what set you off?"

Oh, that little shit.

Lance knew that once Hunk was comfy, he could get Hunk to talk about anything.

"I was just thinking."

"About?"

Lance was like a dog with a raw beef steak. Way too determined to get it and way too determined to keep it.

"About the lives we might have taken."

Lance sighed softly.

Hunk had the softest heart in the universe.

Not that Lance thought that was a bad thing.

He prayed that Hunk would never have to steel his heart.

Lance prayed that this war didn't steel it for him.

"I wonder if the universe sees us as heroes, or war criminals. Will they kill us for all the lives we might have taken?"

Well, this was a heavy train of thought.

Not an invalid one though.

"Oh, Hunk. Look at me," Hunk looked up, warm coffee-browns swimming with unshed tears, "We are not criminals. We are doing the best we can for the universe and the planets that we have already saved will remember us as heroes. Even if the Galra call us war criminals and we are condemned, we know the truth. We are Heroes. The planets we freed know that, we know that, and that is the important thing. If we remember that, we will never be criminals."

Hunk was crying at this point.

"I was thinking about what our parents would think."

Lance smiled softly and ran his fingers through Hunk's hair, pulling out the headband and letting the wavy bangs fall, "Our parents would call us their heroes," Hunk smiled back, exhaustion finally hitting him, "That or hide us from the world and feed us until we burst."  
That got a weak laugh out of Hunk.

The laugh was music to Lance's ears.

They fell into a warm, companionable silence for a few minutes.

"Hey Lance?"

"Yea Hunk?"

"Can you sing for me?"  
Lance didn't even need any more incentive.

"Sure Hunk."  
Lance ransacked his giant mental file on songs for a few minutes until he found the perfect one.

 _"When heaven seems so far away_

 _And dreams are just a memory_

 _Without the dark the light won't show_

 _Remember that you're not alone,"_

Lance sang softly. Hunk gave a soft smile and settled down.

 _"When you watch the world just turn away_

 _And break the promises it made_

 _When love is all too hard to hold_

 _Just take a breath and let it go,"_

Hunk smiled and rubbed his cheek against Lance's chest.

 _"Whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh_

 _Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing_

 _Whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh_

 _Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing,"_

Lance picked up Hunk's left hand and intertwined their fingers together.

Just like old times.

 _"2 A.M., too tired to sleep_

 _When what you want's not what you need_

 _And when these walls don't feel like home_

 _Remember that you're not alone,"_

Hunk smiled softly as Lance kept singing softly.

 _"The beginning's just another end_

 _It's not too late to start again_

 _When hope is all too hard to hold_

 _Just take a breath and let it go,"_

Lance held onto his best friend's hand for all it was worth.

 _"Whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh_

 _Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing_

 _Whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh_

 _Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing,"_

Lance hummed softly; Hunk loved Lance's voice. It made him wonder if it was what an angel sound like.

 _"Ooh ooh...,"_

Lance continued to hum, a gentle smile on his lips.

 _"When heaven seems so far away_

 _And dreams are just a memory_

 _When love is all too hard to hold_

 _Just take a breath and let it...,"_

Hunk was drifting off to the sound of Lance's singing.

 _"Go whoa oh, whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh_

 _Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing_

 _Whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh_

 _Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing,"_ Lance looked down and Hunk was fast asleep, a gentle snore escaping his lips.

/

When Lance had first learned that Marjoram had anxiety, he had borrowed a bunch of books on the topic so he was informed. He absorbed everything he could on how to talk a person away from an anxiety attack.

He was glad for that knowledge when Hunk had his attacks.

It was an honest accident that he walked in on Hunk's first panic attack but he was so glad that he had practically devoured those books.

Talking him back into reality wasn't easy but it worked.

It really worked.

Lance would always talk him back whenever Hunk's anxiety got the better of him and the both of them were pleasantly surprised when it worked for Brooklyn.

Or anyone having an anxiety attack for that matter.

It had really surprised Lance that Hunk hasn't had an attack until now.

Must of be from all the cooking and working on Amarillo.

So, when Lance saw Hunk having a panic attack in the hallway, he reacted.

He walked Hunk through the exercise, the exercise itself something that Hunk preferred. Once Hunk was calm enough to walk, he moved him to an area where contact with people would be minimal. Lance gave Hunk a choice of where he wanted to go and once Hunk asked to go to his room, he led him there. Lance wasn't surprised that Hunk choose his room over Hunk's own.

Lance hoarded blankets like Pidge hoarded alien technology.

Enough said.

They went through the very familiar routine of constructing a nest out of pillows and blankets; then they settled down in that nest.

Lance knew that once Hunk got comfortable, he could get him to talk and talk Hunk did. Once he got the incentive, Hunk could talk about anything so it came as a tiny bit of a surprise when Hunk avoided the question.

Lance was thankfully persistent and he got the answers he was looking for.

Coloured him surprised when it turned out Hunk had been thinking of what the universe would think of them when this war was over.

It wasn't an invalid train of thought.

He was really glad when Hunk had asked for Lance to sing.

Singing was something Lance could do.

He only stopped once he was certain that Hunk was out like a light.

Lance smiled softly as Hunk continued to snore quietly.

Lance was a very intimate person by both nature and nurture. His household was very intimate with each other and it was all too common to find a pair of McClain kids cuddling with each other, brushing each other's hair or feeding each other.

Needless to say, they were _close_ with each other.

Lance never complained about the intimacy and actually _thrived_ off it. Mama had once said that Lance was the most intimate one in the family and that was saying something when a person is called the most intimate person they ever met and the come from an intimate family.

Hunk had been startled when Lance first became intimate with him but had gotten used to it over time. He even started to welcome it by the time they were fifteen and left to go to the Garrison.

Lance managed to rein his extremely intimate nature in, in regards to the others own social needs.

Keith was the very definition of antisocial and so Lance had to constantly prevent himself from touching him without his permission.

The first time he tried was the last time he tried.

Pidge has a family so he was able to do things like random hugs and hair ruffles but there is was always a fifty-fifty chance of him getting his hand bitten off.

It's nearly happened before.

Shiro liked the occasional hug but Lance had to be careful of how he administered them. They both learned the hard way that hugs from behind or the side without ample warning were a _bad_ idea.

Hunk nearly killed Shiro once he saw the very good _bruise_ he left on Lance's left cheek and the center of his chest.

Lance was just glad that he could talk Hunk down before he did something he would regret.

Never underestimate the gentle ones.

Just don't.

Lesson for the day.

Back to the matter that was laying on his chest and stomach.

Lance's bayard rested on his dresser but Lance still picked it up and held it close. One hand played with the strands of rich black hair that he could get at and the other hand clutched the bayard loosely.

To any person that walked by at that moment, it looked like the bronze coloured teen was the very definition of relaxed.

Reality was a very different story.

He looked relaxed but muscles were tense, ready to go at moments notice. Eyes darted around, eying the shadows like they were about to come alive the second he took his eyes off them and take the people he loved away.

One of the words that Hunk had said earlier when he was talking Hunk back down came back in his mind and it frankly startled him.

Smoke.

Where did it come from?

Lance was hoping it wasn't from the kitchen.

Hunk would kill someone for sure.

The kitchen was Hunk's sanctuary, his domain. It was where he made magic and where he hid from the world.

Where he hid from all the fat jokes that people make because they are judgemental assholes. Don't they know that he had a Type B metabolism?

Where he can feed people, and do something kind.

You don't mess with that.

Why was he out of the kitchen anyway?

He felt like he was about to get his answer.

"Hey Lance?"

Lance whipped his bayard at the direction of the door, the familiar weight of his rifle an anchor as he aimed at… Shiro?

Shiro stood at the door-covered in soot and where did that come from? – with his hands in the air, eyes wide and startled.

"Dios mio Shiro!" Lance snapped quietly, deactivating his bayard, "I could have shot you! You have a horrible habit of sneaking up on people; you know that?"

"Anata wa hotondo watashi o utta!"

"English Shiro. I sadly don't speak or understand Japanese."

"You nearly shot me!"

"Of course, I nearly did! You _startled me_!"

"Yoi ten."

" _Shiro_."

"Good point."

Lance looked at the soot with a critical eye as he continued to brush Hunk's hair, "On a side note, why are you covered in soot?"

Shiro suddenly flushed, brown-black eyes started to avoid Lance's, and feet starting to make a pattern on the floor.

Lance couldn't help but compare him to one of the younger ones when they got in trouble.

It was realmente encantador.

"Shiro…," Lance said slowly, "What did you do?"

Shiro has never been terrified of Lance before today. Lance was generally a good-natured person but right now, with Lance using a tone of voice that reminded Shiro of his Oka-san when he was in trouble?

Shiro decided that Lance was absolutely terrifying.

He was right up there with his Oka-san and his Obaa-chan.

"Umm… I burnt dinner."

"How did you burn dinner?"

"Pidge came up to me to ask a question and I turned away from the stove for a second. I swear it was a second!"

"Was the heat on high?"  
"…Yes…"

Lance sighed, "That's why Hunk smelled smoke earlier. You burned dinner because the heat was too high."

Shiro blinked, "Really?"

"Yea," Lance said, exasperated at this point, "Cooking 101 ninja del espacio. You don't put the heat on high for long periods of time."

"Oh. Watashi wa son'nani bakada."

" _English Shiro_. Don't make me repeat myself."

"I'm such an idiot."

"Now I know why Pidge wants me to wear a translator collar."

"Yep."

Shiro watched as Lance turned back to Hunk, his bayard still in hand as he ran his hand through strands of hair.

"You weren't kidding."

Lance looked up at Shiro, "Huh?"

"You really do this with Hunk."  
"You remember that?"

"Yea. I do."

They smiled softly at each other for a second. Lance turned away first, continuing to play with Hunk's hair and putting the bayard on the dresser. Shiro couldn't help but grin at that, the utter amount of trust that Lance had in his team mates was incredible.

"Did you come here to tell me something?"  
Shiro paled once he remembered what he came to warn them about, "Coran saw what had happened and threw me and Pidge out of the kitchen. He cooked."

Lance paled as well, that wasn't good. Lance loved Coran but food goo wasn't exactly appeasing.

Like, at all.

"Avoid the dining hall?"

"Avoid the dining hall."

"Shiro, go get cleaned up. You are covered in soot."

Shiro startled, "Pidge told me I didn't have soot on me."

"Shiro, miel, I think that we have already established the fact that Pidge is an evil little troll who is absolutely ruthless and savage that does not discriminate."

Shiro looked at Lance for a few minutes with a raised eyebrow, "What does miel mean?"

"It means honey Shiro. It's on every container of honey in a store."

"Not in space though."

"Touché. Go get cleaned up, you smell like smoke."

Shiro smiled at Lance and left the room with a laughing huff, the smell of burnt food goo leaving with him. Lance looked down to check on Hunk, pleased to note that he hadn't woken up during the whole conversation with Shiro.

Lance brushed some rich black hair out of Hunk's face, "Enjoy your dreams, querido amigo."  
Hunk just slept on.

 ** _Wildcat: FYI folks, I do not Fireflies by Owl City, Just keep breathing by We are the Kings and Voltron: LD._**


	7. Chapter 7

Lance stared at the ceiling of his room as he tried to sleep.

Emphasis on tried.

He was trying to relax because he knew that the team has to train tomorrow but sleep was an elusive lover tonight.

Every worry, fear, and insecurity decided to act up tonight and make noise in his brain.

 _You're not strong enough._

 _You're not fast enough._

 _You're not smart enough._

 _You're not a good pilot._

 _You're just a screw-up._

 _No one likes you._

 _You're not good enough to be a Paladin._

 _You're not good enough._

Lance promptly told the evil trolls in his mind to shut up but they kept talking, whispering treacherous thoughts in his head.

He groaned once he realized that he wasn't getting any sleep anytime soon and proceeded to get up.

Maybe he can train them away, just like Keith did.

Perfect, strong, brave, Keith.

He pulled his shirt off to reveal a white tank top and grabbed a pair of sweatpants, slipping them on and letting them rest on his slender hips. Socks and his sneakers were next, protecting his feet from the frigid floor; his bayard was snatched off the dresser and a hairband that he crafted from some fabric and a giant elastic stuffed into his sweat pant pocket as he headed towards the training deck.

He quickly backpedaled and grabbed his phone, thankful not for the first time that his phone could be charged here.

Lance trotted down the hallways of the Castle, eyes darting at the shadows as he moved down the blue-bathed hallway towards a place that he knew was better to stay away from when a certain Red Paladin was pissy.

The training deck.

The door hissed open when he finally arrived at the training deck and he trotted over to the speaker system that rested on the main floor, slipping his headband on as he hooked his phone up to the speakers and browsing the selection of music available. He finally settled on a starter song and tapped the play button.

Fast-pace violin music filled the air and a few gladiators appeared.

Perfect.

 _You ready?! Let's go!_

 _Yeah, for those of you that want to know what we're all about_

 _It's like this y'all (c'mon!)_

The first gladiator charged with a bo staff and swung low, aiming for his legs.

 _This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill_

 _Fifteen percent concentrated power of will_

 _Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain_

 _And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!_

His bayard turned into a whip, the end coiling around the staff like a lighting fast python and Lance yanked the staff out of the bot's hand. The staff clattered on the ground as he snagged the gladiator's arm and flung the gladiator away.

 _Mike! - He doesn't need his name up in lights_

 _He just wants to be heard whether it's the beat or the mic_

 _He feels so unlike everybody else, alone_

 _In spite of the fact that some people still think that they know him_

 _But fuck em, he knows the code_

 _It's not about the salary_

 _It's all about reality and making some noise_

 _Making the story - making sure his clique stays up_

 _That means when he puts it down Tak's picking it up! Let's go!_

The second gladiator was armed with a gun; Lance needing only a second before his bayard changed to a shield that deflected all the shots that were aimed his way.

 _Who the hell is he anyway?_

 _He never really talks much_

 _Never concerned with status but still leaving them star struck_

 _Humbled through opportunities given despite the fact_

 _That many misjudge him because he makes a living from writing raps_

 _Put it together himself, now the picture connects_

 _Never asking for someone's help, or to get some respect_

 _He's only focused on what he wrote, his will is beyond reach_

 _And now it all unfolds, the skill of an artist_

He raced forward, slamming himself into the gladiator with the force of an high-speed monorail train. The gladiator dropped like a lead weight in water and Lance scrambled up, sweat glistening on his skin and pain rippling through and on his arms and face.

 _This is twenty percent skill_

 _Eighty percent fear_

 _Be a hundred percent clear cause Ryu is ill_

 _Who would've thought he'd be the one to set the west in flames_

 _Then I heard him wreck it with The Crystal Method, "Name Of The Game"_

 _Came back dropped Megadef, took em to church_

 _I like bleach man, why you had the stupidest verse?_

 _This dude is the truth, now everybody's giving him guest spots_

 _His stock's through the roof I heard he's fuckin' with S. Dot!_

The third and fourth gladiators had swords and Lance reacted.

 _This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill_

 _Fifteen percent concentrated power of will_

 _Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain_

 _And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!_

His shield was replaced by a bo staff of his own as he darted forward and swung, twirling it like he used to do with the flags at the public schools' local flag team.

 _They call him Ryu, he's sick_

 _And he's spitting fire_

 _And mike got him out the dryer he's hot_

 _Found him in Fort Minor with Tak_

 _What a fuckin' nihilist porcupine_

 _He's a prick, he's a cock_

 _The type women want to be with, and rappers hope he get shot_

 _Eight years in the making, patiently waiting to blow_

 _Now the record with Shinoda's taking over the globe_

 _He's got a partner in crime, his shit is equally dope_

 _You won't believe the kind of shit that comes out of this kid's throat_

The third gladiator went down with a satisfying clang and the fourth joined it not even a second later.

 _Tak! - He's not your everyday on the block_

 _He knows how to work with what he's got_

 _Making his way to the top_

 _He often gets a comment on his name_

 _People keep asking him was it given at birth_

 _Or does it stand for an acronym?_

 _No he's living proof, got him rocking the booth_

 _He'll get you buzzing quicker than a shot of vodka with juice_

 _Him and his crew are known around as one of the best_

 _Dedicated to what they do and give a hundred percent_

Lance turned towards the fifth and final one, this one was mimicking Nightwing from the Batman and Nightwing comics with two Eskrima batons or the apparent alien equivalent.

 _Forget Mike - Nobody really knows how or why he works so hard_

 _It seems like he's never got time_

 _Because he writes every note and he writes every line_

 _And I've seen him at work when that light goes on in his mind_

 _It's like a design is written in his head every time_

 _Before he even touches a key or speaks in a rhyme_

 _And those motherfuckers he runs with,_

 _The kids that he signed?_

 _Ridiculous, without even trying,_

 _How did he do it?!_

Little known fact: Lance's sisters Bonita and Mercedes were dancers. Marisol was into Eskrima and other martial arts. Lance took both as a way to connect with his sisters. Let's just say the results rocked.

 _This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill_

 _Fifteen percent concentrated power of will_

 _Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain_

 _And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!_

 _This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill_

 _Fifteen percent concentrated power of will_

 _Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain_

 _And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!_

Lance's bayard turned into an Eskrima baton as they circled each other. His foot tapped the bo staff that he kicked out of the way earlier. He slipped his foot under it and tossed it in the air. The perfect distraction because the gladiator was now tracking it and not him.

 _Yeah! Fort Minor_

 _M. Shinoda - Styles of Beyond_

 _Ryu! Takbir! Machine Shop!_

Lance kicked the staff at the bot, a distraction that he used before in the Mixed Martial Arts tournament he participated in with his sister. The gladiator deflected the staff but failed to counter Lance as he swung. He pirouetted out the way of the bots' punch but got nailed by a kick to the back of the left knee.

He stumbled but swung again, nailing the gladiator with a resounding thunk. The bot fell and didn't get back up.

It was over.

Lance stumbled over to the speakers and unplugged his phone. His calves burned from all the movement and his heart was racing at one hundred miles per hour. His eyes still darted around, looking for more gladiators. His left knee and both arms throbbed with pain as he did this not so simple task.

Lance knew that he was jodido.

Allura was gonna kill him in the morning.

If she ever found out.

Yea, good plan Lance. Make sure the -possibly- omnipotent princess didn't find out that you jodido yourself up before training.

Lance was so the master of good ideas.

Not.

He decided to hobble back to his room but his heart had other ideas. Lance's feet carried him to the bridge and his fingers pressed the right buttons to turn on the star maps that he loved so much. The various stars and planets glittered like different colour diamonds. Most of the diamonds were red while only a quarter of them were blue.

Earth was blue.

His lion.

His colour.

Him.

He quickly stopped that highly disastrous train of thought.

Lance was a comforter.

Not comforted.

His legs and arms complained when he pulled himself up off the arctic cold floor but he ignored the rebellious protestors as he slowly walked back to the room.

Allura and Shiro were gonna kill him.

His body might do it for them instead.

Lance finally made it back to his room and pulled the headband out of his hair with a slight shake to the ever-growing mess of light brown half curls. They fell like light brown waves that tumbled and played at the coast.

Lance loved the coast.

The blue ocean and the taste of salt on his tongue as he swam and dove in the blue waters.

He really needed to rein in this highly treacherous train of thought.

He couldn't afford to cry.

Not him.

Never him.

He dragged his sweaty shirt off and gingerly pulled his pants off, leaving him in nothing but his underwear. Lance hissed when he saw the bruise that formed on the back of his left knee.

Allura was gonna wear his skin like a Reaver.

He just knew it.

He must be exhausted if he was making _Firefly_ references.

He only made really obscure references when he was dead tired.

Lance really didn't want to see the bruise that he was positive was on his face but he got up and went to the bathroom anyways. The image that greeted him made him flinch.

It really didn't look good. Violet skin spread across his face like an el flor de hibisco. It started on the left side of his face and spread across his cheek and nose to the right side of his face. He was pretty sure that he didn't have enough- or any- foundation to cover that.

Shiro was really gonna gank him if he saw this.

Maybe a salt line or devil trap would save him?

And he found the _Supernatural_ references.

Late to the party as usual.

Did you at least bring the whiskey and beer?

What about the pie?

Ok, it was official; he had to go to bed.

He hobbled back to the bed and slowly climbed into it, rolling up a couple of the blankets and placing them under his left knee; sighing in relief as he rested it on the blankets. Lance pulled a few blankets over top of him and closed his eyes.

Sleep soon claimed him as it's lover, caressing him tenderly as he slept on.

Dreams of the ocean filled his night.

/

Lance woke up to the blaring of his alarm clock and he tried to swing his arm to get the damned thing.

Tried being the key word here.

Pain raced up his arm when he tried and he let out a squeal of pain as a result.

Lance was glad that Keith wasn't here to hear that.

He would never let Lance live it down.

Lance pulled himself out of the bed with a wince as pain filled his body, the sore muscles from last night's training session reminding him that he was royally jodido.

He looked at the clock and yelped.

He had less than ten minutes to get to training.

Lance yanked on his flight suit with all the grace of a three-legged bear and his armour was tossed on haphazardly as he raced down the hall, ignoring the screaming, and bitching his body and left knee was currently doing.

He barely remembered to blacken his visor as he careened into the training deck with two minutes to spare.

Two minutes.

Thank whatever gods that exist that he had two minutes.

Shiro was talking to Allura in the corner as Keith and Pidge were chatting, the look on Keith's face suggested that it involved a bet and the future creation of blackmail.

Hunk was waiting for him and he smiled, "Hey Lance, just in time. Shiro and Allura are wrapping up their conversation any minute now."

Yes, lucky for him.

Hunk noticed the blackened visor and that Lance seemed to be favouring his left leg, "Lance, are you okay?"

Shit.

Forgot Hunk was a member of The Order of Protective Coddlers.

Not good.

"Yea, just slept funny."  
"Lance, you sleep like the dead on your back. What's really going on?"

Damn best friends.

They're like frigging sensor shinobi on ration pills.

The Naruto references showed up.

Shiro thankfully- and indirectly- intervened.

"Okay team, gladiator fights today," Shiro said as he walked over, "The teams will be pairs with a change so I can work with everyone once."  
Lance sighed in relief, a partner can help him when things went down to hell.

"Lance, want to go first? I'll be your partner"  
His partner was Shiro?

Shit.

Hello Crowley, Luci, is hell warm this time of year?

The rest of the team cleared the center of the room and left Lance and Shiro in the center. Lance fidgeted as he turned on his bayard and it hummed to life and turned into his signature rifle with a soft whir. Shiro's hand whirred to life as well as a level four gladiator with a sword appeared.

"Ready Lance?"

Lance wanted to say no; no, I hurt myself last night training and I need a break. I miss my home, my parents, my siblings, my planet, and I want to break down and cry too. I'm too weak.

He swallowed all those pleas and nodded, "Yea, I'm totally ready."

"Good, stay on your toes."

What do you think he has been trying to do since he got in here?

The gladiator charged forward with a swing of its sword and Shiro darted out of the way. Lance barely managed to dive out of the way and fire at the bot as it barreled by. It swung at Lance and he rolled away from the sword with a tiny squeak.

"Focus!"

Oh, shit. Allura and everyone else was watching.

Lance scrambled up just as Shiro started to trade parries and blows with the gladiator. He raised his gun and aimed, "Shiro, move!"  
Shiro moved and Lance fired twice. Both shots managed to land on the gladiator, striking the shoulder and the arm holding the sword and it stumbled back.

Lance swore.

He was aiming for the sword.

He dove out of the way when the gladiator, the bot picking him as it's new target. Shiro tried to draw its attention once he realized what had happened but the gladiator just batted him out of the way, Shiro hitting the wall and ground with the soft thud. It advanced with its sword raised.

Lance lost it.

Screw keeping his bayard's ability to change a secret.

It glowed and turned into a whip, cracking against the ground as he snapped it. Gasps filled the air but he ignored them as he swung at the gladiator's wrist. The whip coiled around its wrist and he yanked. It stumbled back again and turned back to Lance.

"That's right! Look at _me_! I'm the _dangerous one_!" Lance snarled as he changed the bayard yet again, this time it turned into a small war axe.

It charged and Lance swung upward, slicing off an arm as he dodged the incoming blow. Shiro groaned and Lance was determined to keep it away from Shiro so he decided to pull a River Tams.

His protective instincts roared as it looked at Shiro again, clearly calculating how to get to the injured target.

How to get to the weaker prey.

Lance charge forward, his axe morphing into a halberd. He twirled it, catching the bot's attention but it turned back to Shiro.

Lance wasn't a good enough target

Lance wasn't good enough.

"Leave him alone! I'm your target!" He roared and Lance charged again, his left knee screaming in protest but Lance ignored it as he swung his halberd and nailed the gladiator in the left shoulder. The bot decided that Lance was the bigger problem and went after him with intent.

They dodged and blocked each other for a few minutes but the gladiator finally got in a good blow and knock Lance down. It had noticed that its new target was favouring the left leg and it slammed its foot down when its target was down.

Lance's eyes widened as pain consumed his every thought and he did the only thing his brain could think of.

He screamed.

Shiro woke up to Lance's pain-filled scream.

The rest of the team decided that they needed to intervene.

Now.

Hunk led the charge with all the force of a grizzly bear, sending the bot flying when he rammed into it. Keith dove for Shiro and they stumbled over to Lance as Hunk and Pidge went to town on the bot.

"End session!"  
The bot stopped but Hunk didn't want to. The only thing that stopped him was when he heard Lance started talking.

He raced over to Lance as Allura and Coran came over as well.

"Lance, bud?" Shiro called softly, "Are you okay?"

Lance nodded weakly, "Yea, I'm okay."

Everyone knew that was bullshit.

Hunk wanted to grab him and hold him, but something told him that Lance had entered a Cat Mood.

Yes, with capitals.

Lance tended to enter moods where if you chased him down, held him, demanded him to do or give something he didn't want to or did anything that Lance didn't like, he would curl up on himself, put his ears back and hiss at you. He might even bite or claw you if pressed just right.

The best advice was to give Lance some room. Let him come out of the Mood and seek someone out.

Hopefully, he would come out of it quickly.

On a side note, he had to go run interference or someone on the team was gonna get scratched by Lance.

Lance slowly climbed up, still thankful for the blacked-out visor or this conversation would be going elsewhere.

"I've gotta go," He said as he quickly limped away. He just wanted a little time and a little space. Shiro reached for him but he quickly moved out of the way and all but ran from the training deck.

/

Shiro watched as Lance fled from the deck with sad eyes.

What had just happened?

"Hunk," Pidge started to talk and everyone turned to look at them, "Is that a Cat Mood?"

"Yep, just give him space."  
"What the hell is a Cat Mood and why the hell does it sound like it has capital letters at the beginning?" Keith asked as he guided Shiro closer.

"A Cat Mood is a mood Lance gets occasionally. If you chase him down, hold him, demand him to do or give something he doesn't want to, or do anything that Lance doesn't like, he would curl up on himself, put his ears back and hiss at you. He has bitten and clawed people before and he has a sharp tongue at his disposal," Hunk explained as he watched the door sadly, "Give him an hour or two and he'll be okay enough to seek out."

"Are you sure?" Allura asked, concerned for Lance.

"Yes Allura, I am sure. I've known him since I was fourteen. A half hour might work but that's pushing it," Hunk said, hoping that they got the warning.

Everyone got the warning.

Following the warning was another thing altogether.

"That's enough training for today," Shiro said as he managed to stand on his own, "Let's take a breather, get cleaned up and see if Lance is okay."

Hunk was expecting this to not go well, at all.

/

Lance stumbled into his room and started to pull his armour off. His limbs and muscles screamed and begged but he knew that sleeping in his armour was a bad idea.

He finally peeled off the flight suit and winced at all the bruises that littered his body and he really didn't like how swollen his left knee had gotten. Lance struggled to pull on a pair of sweatpants because it _hurt so much_. He finally gave up and decided to stay in his dark blue boxer briefs, less effort than trying to get sweatpants on.

He needed a distraction, they saw him break apart on the training deck.

The perfect distraction was under the bed.

He pulled out his sewing kit- an improvised box filled with thread, needles, and a couple of projects- and pulled out his latest project. Simple light grey fabric pooled in his hands as he picked up a needle that was attached to gunmetal grey thread that had been stabbed into a pincushion.

His hand shook slightly as he pulled the needle free and Lance steeled himself; mistakes were not tolerable.

He was good as sewing.

He had to be good at something.

He had to be _good_.

Lance's hands no longer shook as he pushed the needle through the fabric and slowly picked up speed as he kept working. A Japanese dragon slowly came to life under his hands, the scales a smaller stitch to create a shimmer effect. He tied the ends and trimmed them, making sure that the thread was unable to come undone.

Lance then picked up a needle and reached for a spool of battleship grey coloured thread. He tried not to shake as he threaded the needle and he got to work, creating several stalks of bamboo. Another needle with platinum grey thread created orchid flowers that created a foreground for the back.

He startled when he realized that he finished his last project for a series and he looked at the time.

Three hours had passed.

Hunk must have stalled them.

A knock sounded from the doorway.

"Lance? Please let us in."

Found the team.

Lance scrambled to hide his project.

He didn't want to ruin the surprise.

"Lance, I will count to three and you have better open this door," There's Keith.  
"Cool your jets, Keith, he was probably asleep and you woke him," Hi Pidge.  
"Quiet gremlin," Lance tried not to snort at Keith's sassy reply.

Silence filled the air for all of two seconds before a whack and a yelp was heard.

"OW! That hurt!" Lance was really trying not to laugh.  
"This gremlin can hit. Remember that Little Red Riding Hood or I'll do it again," Lance nearly lost it at Keith's new nickname. He had to remember that one.

"Who is this Little Red Riding Hood?" Lance knew that was Coran.

"Not now Coran," There's Allura, "Lance, can you come out?"

Lance really didn't want to.

He had to be strong.

He had to be.

He was strong.

Right?

"Lance, buddy?" Hunk's strong, gentle voice was something Lance desperately clung to in this moment of inner chaos, "Can you open the door? We just want to make sure that you're okay."

Lance stayed silent and Hunk just kept talking, "Just listen then if you don't want to open the door, please? We're worried about you, you took quite a hit in training today. We just want to make sure you are okay."  
"I don't think this is working," Someone commented.

Hunk did what he did best, ignored the person in favour of Lance, "Océano, can you come out?"

Damn best friend.

Hunk knows that he turns to putty when he calls Lance Océano.

Lance reached for the door-against his better judgement he might add- and opened it. The whole team gaped at the bruise that spread across his face like a stain and the fact that he was favouring his left leg but Lance just dropped his head on Hunk's chest.

That was all the indication that he was _not_ okay that Hunk needed.

"Oh buddy, it's okay," Hunk said softly as he gently pulled Lance into a warm hug that Lance melted into, "You don't have to be strong anymore. We've got you, Lance, we've got you."

Lance started to cry. Crystalline tears coursed over his bruised face as he tried to wipe them while trying to stay in Hunk's embrace.

He had to stop.

He needed to stop.

He needed to be strong.

He had to be strong.

He couldn't be anything else.

Hands suddenly touched his back, shoulders, and arms. He jumped and froze until they started to rub soothing circles.

Hunk nearly snorted when Lance turned into a living puddle in his arms.

Shiro- the ever-lovable Space Dad- piped up, "Why don't we move to the lounge? It would be much more comfortable than standing out here."

Everyone quickly agreed and Hunk quickly decided that Lance wasn't walking. How he got to his room from the training deck with his hurt knee would forever remain a mystery to Hunk.

Lance squealed in surprise when Hunk scooped him up bridal style but that squeal of surprise turned into a squeal of pain as his knee bent.

Everyone noticed the change of tone.

"Lance?!" Shiro asked worried, "Is it your knee?"

Lance buried his face in Hunk's chest and tried to ride out the pain.

Did Shiro ask a question?

Lance thought he did.

He decided to nod his head.

Good answer Lance.

He couldn't see it but Hunk and the others got worried when he just nodded his head at Shiro's question.

Hunk was worried because he knew his best friend for a long time and knew that Lance only became as quiet as he was when he was in incredible amounts of pain.

Everyone else was just worried.

They decided to move and they all walked to the lounge. Keith stopped and darted back into Lance's room for a second, taking Pidge and Coran with him. Allura, Shiro, and Hunk continued onto the lounge; worrying, even more, when Lance occasionally gave a quiet whimper whenever his knee was jarred slightly.

They finally arrived at the lounge and Hunk slowly sat down with Lance still in his arms, Allura started to rummage in the chest in the center of the lounge, while Shiro started to arrange a nest of pillows and blankets that Allura tossed at Shiro occasionally. Lance managed to turn his head just enough to see what was going on around him and he managed to give a soft giggle when Allura threw a blanket without looking and it nailed an unsuspecting Shiro right in the back of the head.

Once Shiro was satisfied with the state of the nest, he directed Hunk to place Lance in it. Lance tried to protest but Hunk ignored the half-hearted objections as he gently placed Lance in the unsurprisingly soft nest.

Lance gave up when Pidge, Keith, and Coran appeared with two basins of water; one of which was steaming, Lance's bottle of Junaberry extract, a few ice packs, a pack of bandages, facecloths, tea towels, a couple of pillows, and a first aid kit.

Keith opened the first aid kit with a quiet click and pulled out a pair of gloves. Coran put a few drops of the extract in each basin and stirred the water. Pidge gingerly lifted Lance's left leg and Shiro quickly placed the pillows that the trio had brought under the limb, right under his knee. Lance groaned in pain but managed to stay still.

He was First Aid certified, he knew what they were doing.

If Lance had his way, all of them would be First Aid certified at the end of this war.

Getting back on track.

Hunk gently ran his hands through Lance's hair as Coran dumped the face clothes in the basins.

Keith wrapped the ice pack in one of the tea towels and approached the nest that Lance was currently laying in, "Lance, can I touch you?" He asked as he held the freezing object in his hand. Everyone waited for Lance's answer

Lance saw that Keith was trying to ask first instead of just doing it and the simple gesture touched Lance's heart, "Sure Keith."

Keith gave a soft smile and looked at Shiro, then back at Lance, "Can the others touch you as well?"

Lance would applaud Keith for being considerate but he was just too tired, "Yeah, they can."

Keith looked at Shiro for a second and to Lance- who, need I remind you, was exhausted, sore, and wanted a nap- it, looked like they were having a telepathic conversation.

Lance wondered for a minute if Shiro and Charles Xavier were related.

Great, more references.

Shiro reached for Lance's knee and tenderly cupped the left knee, he then lifted it up just enough to let Keith slide the ice pack underneath the swollen limb. The slight movement was enough to cause Lance to hiss in pain and he was exhausted and pissy enough to hiss at Shiro and Keith as well.

Mouth half open with his lip pulled over his teeth and tongue arched with air being forced past the appendage.

The whole nine years.

Shiro couldn't help but imagine the idea of Lance having a pair of cat ears that were pushed back too.

It was too freaking cute.

Hunk snorted when Lance hissed at the two of them, it was an occasional habit that had gotten him into trouble back at the Garrison with Iverson. Iverson gave up trying to stop him from doing it when Lance did it to him in front of students after the poor boy spent all night studying for a test in his flight tactics class.

Everyone quickly realized that Lance only did it when he was dead tired or in pain.

Lance was currently both tired and in pain.

Hissing was only expected at this point.

"Sorry," Keith mumbled as Shiro tried not to giggle at the mental image.

Coran picked up a cold face cloth and gently started to wipe at Lance's face, focussing on the bruise that stained his pretty bronze skin.

They all smiled when Lance nuzzled Coran's hand.

He was so tired.

Pidge grabbed a face cloth from the basin of warm water, twisted it to get excess water out of the absorbent fabric and laid it on Lance's bare leg.

That was when Allura realized that Lance was in his underwear and nothing else. She ignored it in favour of grabbing a warm cloth, wringing it out and wiping the bruises on his chest.

Lance would enjoy the pampering that the others were giving him but he was tired.

He wasn't too tired to think that they would not ask questions. Most of the bruises were older than others and that would raise questions.

"Where did you get this bruise, Lance?" Shiro asked as he traced the bruise on his face with the tips of his fingers.

There's the questions.

Maybe he could get away with not answering it?

"Lance, where did you get the bruises?" Hunk asked. He looked into Lance's eyes with unwavering concern.

Aw, shit.

Lance didn't want to make Hunk worry.

"I got it training," He managed to say after a few seconds struggling to get his mind going.

"When? These aren't from today," Keith said as he changed the face cloth on Lance's knee.

"Last night."

Coran paused in his ministrations, "Is that why the deck was a wreck this morning?"

"Sorry Coran."

"All is forgiven, my boy."

Allura looked at Lance's knee with an unreadable expression for a few seconds, "Lance, did you hurt your knee in the same training or was that today?"

Remember that comment about Allura wearing his skin like a Reaver?

Yea, so did he.

"Umm…" He said, trying to stall for time.

Hunk raised an eyebrow at Lance, "Go on."

"Yesterday?" Lance squeaked.

"That sounds like a question," Shiro commented, his brown-black eyes watching as Lance fidgeted under his gaze.

Lance resigned himself to his fate and steeled himself for the inevitable, he was way too tired for this.

"Yesterday," He said again, hoping that they would be merciful and make his punishment for not being stronger quick.

Keith watched Lance as he and Pidge continued to tend to his knee, raising an eyebrow as it looked like Lance wanted to do nothing more than curl in on himself or run for the hills.

"Why were you training?" Keith asked cordially as he tossed the cloth that currently rested on Lance's knee into the bucket of warm water and replaced with one that Pidge handed him.

Six different eyebrows went up as one when Lance flushed a rich crimson- a colour that all of them would later agree was a pretty colour on his exotic-coloured skin- and tried desperately not to look anyone in the eyes.

"Umm…"

"Lance… why were you training?" Shiro asked as he gently took Lance's hand in his metal one and gently stroked the back of the bronze-coloured hand.

Hunk tried not to laugh as his best friend valiantly tried to imitate a puddle.

Lance was a sucker for Shiro, he didn't know this though so it was probably for the best. All the things Shiro could get Lance to do if he knew this.

On second thought, maybe Shiro should know.

Back to the matter at hand.

Lance knew that the others were expecting an answer but he wasn't ready.

He wasn't ready for them to see how _weak_ he really was.

To see how _broken_ he really was.

To see how _worthless,_ he really was.

To see how _tired,_ he really was.

"Lance?" Pidge asked when Lance looked like he was staring into space, "Why were you training?"

Lance shook himself out of his stupor, he needed to answer.

Answer what?  
What was the question?

"The question was why were you training last night?"

Did he say that aloud?

"Yes, you did. Can you answer the question?"

Lance looked into concerned honey-browns as he tried to think straight. He had to focus.

Focus.

Breathe.

Hunk watched as Lance slowly breathed and tried to focus on the question. The glassy look that had consumed the beautiful sea-blue eyes slowly faded away to reveal a clarity that reminded Hunk- not for the first time- of a pair of the richest sapphires.

"Lance," He asked again, delighted when recognition flared in those sapphire eyes, "Why were you training in the deck last night?"

Lance looked at the group; seeing the concern, worry, kindness, and love in the sea of different coloured eyes.

He decided to bare his soul.

To bare his pain.

To bare his worthlessness.

To bare his exhaustion.

To bare his guilt.

To bare his hopelessness.

To lay it all bare.

"Because I am not good enough."

Everyone felt their blood turn into liquid ice. Out of all the answers, they were expecting, this one wasn't one of them.

Shiro opened his mouth to tell Lance how wrong he was when Lance just kept going.

"I'm not like everyone else. I'm not like Shiro, who could lead anyone with a simple word and can guide a lost soul back to heaven if humans could do that. I'm not like Allura, who can think us out of a million political quiznak ups in a second and can remind even the most stubborn Clanural what we are fighting for. I'm not like Pidge, who is smart and can hack into a Galran database with nothing but a gauntlet computer and a piece of gum," Lance cried as tears started to fall down his cheeks, "I'm not like Hunk, who can hotwire a ship or a car with ease and can take any engine apart. I'm not like Coran, who knows how to keep everyone from losing themselves and can make anyone happy. I'm not like Keith, who can defend himself and can keep others safe. I'm nothing. I'm useless," Lance was sobbing at this point, the whites of his eyes turning bloodshot, crimson flushing across his face and mingling with the violet bruise that was already there.

Hunk started to gently wipe up the tears as Allura reached over and ran her fingers through light brown hair. Keith stopped replacing the face clothes in shock of what he had just heard but Pidge- bless their evil gremlin soul- just kept on changing them while Coran helped Hunk wipe the tears away. Shiro just rubbed the back of Lance's hand with his metal thumb.

This was worse than they thought.

Allura knew that this was a moment that what they said could affect him for the rest of his life.

"Lance," She jumped when Shiro started to talk, "You are so wrong," Allura resisted the urge to facepalm because Shiro probably had a plan, "You are not like anyone else. At all," Allura saw everyone else nearly facepalm, "You are Lance, the sharpshooter that I know can hit a target that's two miles away. You are the person who heals others, be it with kind words, simple but powerful gestures, actual first aid," Keith glowered at Shiro for a minute as he switched the cloth that was resting on Lance's knee for another one, "Or with the power of music. You are the person that either keeps us sane or makes sure we don't get too insane."

"The jury's still debating if you're effectively stopping the crazy," Pidge muttered as they replaced the ice pack with a new one. They then yelped when Coran tapped them on the back of the head.

"Point is," Shiro said after he lightly tapped the back of Pidge's head with his flesh hand, "You are not like the others because you are you. Don't try to become us, try to stay as yourself. I'm proud of you, kiddo."

Lance was staring at Shiro with tears still falling down his face.

It was as if he couldn't believe in Shiro's words.

"I am proud of you," Lance's head swung in the direction of the voice; gaping at Allura as she smiled at him.

Hunk caught on in an instant, "Dude, I'm super proud of you."

Coran beamed in delight, "I am proud of you as well lad. Is there anything to not be proud of?"

Lance was gaping like a fish at this point, unable to comprehend the simple statement.

Pidge smiled next as they looked right into Lance's blue eyes, "I'm proud of you too."

Lance's mouth hung open, the tears refusing to stop falling in shock.

"I'm proud," Lance swung his head towards Keith, who just looked right into his eyes, "I'm proud to call you my teammate."

If Lance wasn't in shock earlier, he sure was now.

"See Lance," He turned to look at Shiro, who gave him a soft smile, "We are all proud of the Paladin you've become. Don't change. Please don't."

Everyone watched as Lance suddenly launched himself forward and pulled Shiro into a hug. Shiro startled and would have nearly squished Lance if Hunk and Keith didn't grab the back of his shirt and held him up.

Shiro smiled softly and wrapped his arms around Lance, slowly sitting down on the edge of the nest and pulling Lance as close and gently as he possibly could. He could feel the tears soaking his shirt but Shiro really didn't care.

One of his kids needed him.

Hunk promptly joined the impromptu hug with a wide grin and gentle hands that cradled Lance like he was the universes' most precious treasures. Coran slides in with ease, a hand resting on his left shoulder as he held onto the Blue Paladin that he thought as his own child. Allura was next, not quite joining in the pile as enthusiastically as the first three but she still kneels beside Lance, grabbing a hand in her own and intertwining their fingers together; bronze and milk chocolate fingers gripping each other firmly. Pidge wiggled in, snuggling in as close as they can get without hurt Lance's knee anymore that it already was.

Keith hesitated- the people already in the huddle had left very little room for a person of Keith's exact dimensions to get in- but he reached in and rested his hand on the back of Lance's neck, a bare hand- and having no gloves on wasn't something that Keith was used too- cradling the nape of Lance's neck. Keith took a quiet second to marvel at the fact that Lance's hair was soft, reminding him of the blanket that he had woken up under when he had been injured himself.

Lance's sobbing continued for a while, no one pulling away as the sobs turned into soft cries then into quiet whimpers and hiccups.

 _"Put your make up on_

 _Get your nails done_

 _Curl your hair_

 _Run the extra mile_

 _Keep it slim_

 _So they like you. Do they like you?"_

Lance jumped when Shiro started to sing, a rich, flowing tenor filling the air. It reminded Lance of the winds, constantly changing, and flowing but retaining an air of command.

 _"Get your sexy on_

 _Don't be shy, girl_

 _Take it off_

 _This is what you want, to belong_

 _So they like you. Do you like you?"_

Hunk joined in, his voice a strong, powerful bass that made Lance think of sturdy mountains that were covered in rich pine forests.

 _"You don't have to try so hard_

 _You don't have to give it all away_

 _You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up_

 _You don't have to change a single thing,"_

Keith joined in next, a low alto that demanded attention, light, powerful, warm. Lance immediately thought of a warm hearth, a fire popping and crackling merrily in the fireplace.

 _"You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i_

 _You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i_

 _You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i_

 _You don't have to try_

 _Yoooou don't have to try_

 _Ooooo, oooooo, oooooo..."_

Pidge piped up next, their surprisingly soprano voice taking a sylvan tone that made Lance think of something akin to those fairy forests that Mama told him about and painted with when he was a child.

(Adora McClain suddenly got the urge to paint a fairy forest again; she had stopped painting after Lance disappeared.)

 _"Get your shopping on,_

 _At the mall,_

 _Max your credit cards_

 _You don't have to choose,_

 _Buy it all_

 _So they like you. Do they like you?"_

Keith and Shiro's voices blended together, perfectly harmonious as they sang.

(Adora started to paint, the forest coming to life under her brush. It even had a beautiful pool of water that glowed.)

 _"Wait a second,_

 _Why should you care, what they think of you_

 _When you're all alone, by yourself_

 _Do you like you? Do you like you?"_

Hunk and Pidge harmonized next, the soprano and bass complementing each other.

(She started to paint a group of beings, the first was a gentle earth spirit that leaned against a tree and was looking at the pool of water and managed to look like they were also looking up the tree at the same time.)

 _"You don't have to try so hard_

 _You don't have to give it all away_

 _You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up_

 _You don't have to change a single thing,"_

Keith replaced Pidge, the low alto blending seamlessly with the powerful bass. Lance couldn't help but think of the majestic beauty of a dormant volcano, its power ready to go off at any minute.

(A forest nymph was next, they were playfully perched on a branch of the tree that the earth spirit leaned against, conversing with an air spirit that floated nearby, the earth spirit from earlier, and a male star spirit that rested on the same branch.)

 _"You don't have to try so hard_

 _You don't have to bend until you break_

 _You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up_

 _You don't have to change a single thing_

 _You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i_

 _You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i_

 _You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i_

 _You don't have to try,"_

Pidge's soprano and Shiro's tenor were beautiful together. Lance thought of a playful breeze that was racing through an elven forest.

(A female star spirit rested on a branch close by, smiling like a benevolent queen.)

 _"You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i_

 _You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i_

 _You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i_

 _You don't have to try_

 _Yoooou don't have to try,"_

They all joined together, the varying sounds blending and creating something beautiful.

(A fire spirit was sitting by a pool of water, looking like they were talking to someone in the pool.)

 _"Oooooo, oooooo_

 _Oooooo, oooooo_

 _You don't have to try so hard_

 _You don't have to give it all away_

 _You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up_

 _You don't have to change a single thing,"_

Allura joined in at this point, her voice a soothing soprano that made Lance think of swirling galaxies.

(A water spirit lounged in the pool, talking with the fire spirit, and occasionally joining in the conversation by the trees.)

 _"You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i_

 _You don't have to try, try, try, try-i-i_

 _You don't have to try_

 _You don't have to try,_

Coran also joined in, his voice a startlingly clear tenor that was slightly higher than Shiro's own. Lance compared his voice to a bubbling brook.

(Adora unscrewed her clear luminescent paint and painted stars, fairy lights, the group of spirts, and bits of the pool.)

 _"Take your make up off_

 _Let your hair down_

 _Take a breath_

 _Look into the mirror, at yourself_

 _Don't you like you?_

 _Cause I like you,"_

Lance joined in last, startling everyone-except Hunk- with his higher alto. They couldn't help but compare it to the ocean, rich and constantly moving.

It was beautiful.

(The painting was finally finished and Adora felt peaceful for the first time since Lance disappeared. She knew that he was safe, where ever he was, she was certain of it.)

Lance felt too comfortable to move and he quickly fell asleep, swaddled in the arms of his team.

His family.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry this is late everyone. University blindsided me and I finally got a chance to finish this. I am thankful for all that had stayed with the story and I promise an Epilogue in the future. I will not be posting in July and August because I am gone to Greece for an university course. Love you all.**

 **Wildcatinuzuka**

It had been a few days since the disastrous training day and Lance was doing quite well.

Shiro and Allura still refused to let Lance within ten meters of the training deck.

Eh, minor setback folks, Lance will get some training in at some point… when they are not looking.

Keith had started to ask Lance about how his bayard changed forms. Lance had just told him the truth, he just thought of what he needed to do at that moment and it changed to suit his needs.

Keith's glare of concentration when he tried to make his sword change into a gun was hilarious.

His glow of delight when Keith managed to make it change was priceless.

Pidge and Hunk had caught on easier than Keith had but their glows of delight were also priceless.

He was humming as he checked his project for flaws and was pleased when he saw none.

He was immensely proud of the final products.

Plural

The reason he was checking them over was because they had managed to free a planet named Faliera- even with Lance's crappy knee and wasn't that a miracle? – and they were the closest looking species to humans they have seen except for a few key things.

One, they had a fine layer of downy fur on them that came in variety of colours, ranging from onyx black to light blonde. Two, they had prehensile tails, large jewel-coloured eyes, and large fluffy ears. Three, they formed large familial tribes and whole generations could live in one tree house. Almost monkey-like in both body and cultural nature.

They also refused to let anyone wearing armour into the celebration gala.

It was apparently a social rule.

Lance wasn't too sure here, but he wasn't looking a proverbial gift horse in the mouth.

He was just as excited as Dean when he got pie.

Wait a minute.

Lance wasn't tired, why did he use a reference?

Oh, well.

Never mind.

Not important.

Lance folded the last of the projects in some boxes and gathered them up. Some more boxes were stacked on top of one another and he tried to balance everything as he grabbed a bag full of little boxes and a handled wicker basket at the same time.

It wasn't working.

"Need help there?"

Lance nearly dropped everything when he startled. Some of the boxes were grabbed and a hand steadied him before he fell over too. He turned to his left to see Shiro holding some of Lance's boxes with one hand and looked at Lance with concern in his black-brown eyes.

Lance quickly batted his blush back into submission with an imaginary rolled up newspaper and smiled at Shiro, "Sure, help would be great."

Shiro took a couple more boxes and the bag. Lance was desperately beating the blush and love-struck emotions back with that newspaper.

Oh, look. The emotions had bazooka's and tanks.

Lance was clearly out-gunned.

Can he call in reinforcements?

No?

Okay, just checking.

"Where are we going with all these boxes?" Shiro asked as they started to walk.

"The Lion's Den," Lance replied as he led Shiro to the lounge.

"You mean the lounge?"

"The Lion's Den will catch on, just watch."

"Hai, hai."

Shiro looked over in time to see Lance beam at him. Shiro took a second to admire the man that stood beside him.

Lance honestly looked beautiful; only a man could be as beautiful as Lance did at that moment.

Even with his injured knee- Lance refused to go to the healing pod, he had said something about learning to not rely on them too much for every little thing- Lance walked with a lioness's grace.

Everything about Lance was like a lioness.

No wonder the Blue Lion had chose Lance.

He had the protective instincts of one; he was a gentle soul until someone hurt a person Lance loved and treasured, a good example was that gladiator Lance had attempted to rip apart the second Shiro was in any hint of danger in that disastrous training session.

He had the nurturing nature of one; this was most definitely proven to every person on this ship.

He certainly had the otherworldly beauty that all lionesses possessed.

Shiro had noticed it when they had first met in that little cabin in the desert. The desert sunrise had painted Lance's skin an exquisite orange-red colour that looked beautiful on the man.

He was _beautiful_.

Not handsome, cute, sexy, or gorgeous.

But _beautiful_.

Every part of him was beautiful: his rich deep sea blue eyes that sparkled like sapphires, his exquisite brown hair that curled at the ends and clung to his nape like an elegant cloak, his beautiful bronze skin that looked soft.

His personality was the best part of him, his loving and protective nature that was occasionally noisy and reminded Shiro of the oceans. Always moving, constantly changing but beautiful; it could be calm and quiet one day and turbulent and noisy the next. Peaceful until enraged, then it became a tsunami.

If Shiro didn't know better, he would say that Lance's soul and personality was the ocean incarnate.

Wait a minute…

Why was he waxing poetic about how beautiful Lance was?

Oh…

Quiznak.

He was falling in love with Lance.

Kami help him.

Shiro was too busy dealing with the sudden epiphany to realize that they had arrived at the lounge. Lance was too busy taking the boxes to notice but everyone else was not and Keith was laughing at him.

That baka.

Lance never noticed Shiro's blush as he organized the boxes into certain piles, seven of them if Allura was counting them correctly. She could see that the boxes had loopy words on them, each pile had different coloured words that Lance seemed to use as a guide for sorting; Allura's was in pink. The piles consisted of one to two giant boxes and a bunch of medium to little boxes.

"Lance? What's with all the boxes?"

"They're what I've been working on for the last little while," Lance explained as he finished sorting the boxes and quickly checking if he had every box, "Quiznak, I forgot a box. I'll be right back," And Lance was out the door before anyone could blink.

Hurricane Lance has left the room. I repeat, Hurricane Lance has left the room.

Keith quickly rounded on the stunned- and currently sporting the goofiest love-sick grin Keith had ever _seen_ \- Shiro, "You're in _love_ ," Keith said in a sing-song voice, his expression the very definition of the cat who had gotten both the canary and the cream.

Everyone- minus Lance, who was tearing his room apart looking for a very special box- turned to look at the two with interest.

"Keith!" Shiro squealed out, looking to ensure that Lance wasn't there to hear what Keith had said and then proceeded to beat Keith up with the closest pillow he could get his hands on. Keith was laughing as blows rained down on him, a rich and light sound that made the others smile, "Don't say that where he can hear you!"

"I tell nothing but the truth!" Keith laughed as he tried to deflect the blows, "You lllllllllike him!"

"Did you really just pull a Happy?! Really?!"

"Yep!"

Everyone that was currently present-Lance had just found the box, it had somehow managed to migrate to the underbelly of his bed- found the whole situation confusing and amusing in equal measure.

Shiro finally ran out of steam and Keith's hair looked like a pile of messy fluff. (Lance quickly grabbed the hair brush resting by the door. He just got a feeling that he needed it.)

"You done?" Keith asked.

Shiro nodded and turned to look at the others with a rather impressive stink-eye, "No one says a word about what just happened, got it?"

Everyone nodded just as Lance came back in with a box and a hair brush, "What did I- Keith Kogane! What the Quiznak did you do to your hair?!" Lance yelped as he put the box on the couch and raised the brush like a weapon, "I leave you lot alone for two seconds and Keith suddenly looks like his hair is attempting to become a bird's nest," Lance ranted as he advanced on Keith.

Keith suddenly felt terrified of the bronzed-skinned teen.

Shiro felt like Keith was getting his just desserts.

Lance quickly roped Hunk and Coran into the shenanigans by asking them to hold Keith down as he brushed his hair. The two gladly complied and Keith tried to run when they grabbed him.

Let's just say that running didn't work.

Lance advanced with the dangerous weapon- sorry, hairbrush- intent on fixing the bird's nest that had sprung up. Keith flailed like a fish, but he startled when Lance gently ran the brush through his hair. Keith didn't even notice Coran and Hunk letting him go as Lance continued to brush all the knots out.

"Are you done?" Allura asked once the hairbrush stopped moving and Lance was clearly pleased with his result.

Shiro wondered if Keith would be opposed to Lance becoming his brother-in-law.

It was fifty-fifty.

Could go either way.

"Yea, I'm satisfied. For now," Lance said as he tossed the hairbrush into the basket without looking.

Hunk and Pidge cheered when it landed in the basket, "GOAL!"

Lance snorted at their antics, grabbed the box from before, and set it down in a pile, "Knock it off you goofs."

"What's in the boxes?" Shiro asked before Hunk and Pidge could retaliate. Lance brightened up at Shiro's question.

"I'm so glad that you asked," Lance said with a great, big, grin that was way too cat-like to be sane, or normal, "This is how we're gonna avoid having a problem with the people planet-side."

"Umm… how?" Keith asked as Pidge and Coran examined the boxes with curiosity. Hunk just looked like he just got the best present in the world.

"They have a no armour rule for social functions, this is _not_ armour," Lance explained before he decided something, "You know what, just open them."

Hunk immediately dove for the boxes that rested in front of him- much to Lance's amusement- and he tore open one of the big boxes. Everyone peeked over his shoulder and gaped at what laid inside.

A collared shirt rested in the box. It was a beautiful cream colour and they could see embroidery on the front. Hunk beamed at Lance, grabbed the shirt box and one other big box, and scampered behind a screen that they hadn't noticed earlier.

Keith reached over, opened one of the two big boxes that were in the pile in front of him and stared at the beautiful red men's cheongsam that rested inside the box. It was a rich scarlet colour that had golden embroidery stitched throughout it; upon closer inspection, tiny golden winter plum blossoms covered the front of the fabric and seemed to reach behind the garment. As Keith pulled the cheongsam out of the box, he felt more stitching on the back and he flipped it over, his eyes widening in shock. A lion and tiger were on the back, looking ready to fight one another, both cats were stitched in a variety of gold coloured thread that shimmered in the light.

Pidge opened one of their boxes to see a steampunk-styled blouse that was in a light mint green. Dark green vines climbed up the sleeves and down the front. They quickly flipped over the blouse to see more vine embroidery on the back. A lid was quickly ripped open on another box to see a pair of tight, dark brown pants that matched the blouse.

Coran was beaming at the traditional Altean high advisor uniform that rested inside as he pulled the flowing robe out of the box. The silver thread that made up the border announced his station as Allura's advisor and matched with the dark, royal blue that Alfor had loved so much and had once said looked good on him. He rifled through the pile to find the pants that he knew go with the uniform.

Allura was gaping at the elegant and highly modern Altean dress that rested in her hand, at awe at the amount of attention that went into the garment. It was an sophisticated light blue and pale pink dress that clung close to her body but had a cape that trailed behind her slightly. The dress was sleeveless but had sheer straps that she only found because she looked for them. The edges were trimmed with gold thread and she noticed that gold thread was embroidered in a way that it looked like a flurry of junaberry petals flew around the bottom and up.

Shiro opened his box last and he stared at the beautiful male kimono that laid within the box. The kimono itself was a plain black but he loved it nonetheless.

Hunk scampered out of behind the screen to reveal that he was wearing black dress pants and the cream coloured shirt from earlier. He quickly grabbed Pidge and shoved them behind the screen.

"Change, I wanna see what you look like in it," Hunk said excitedly as he hurried over to the rest of his boxes.

Pidge muttered, "Quiznaking excited brat," but the rustling of clothing told everyone that they either decided that arguing costed too much energy or that they were just as excited as Hunk was.

Allura started to rifle through some of the other boxes and her first discovery was a sheer shoulder coat that had an Altean collar. The sleeves on this garment were long and reminded her of the dress she was currently wearing.

Pidge emerged from behind the screen with little flair, but they still looked stunning in the brown pants and green blouse; Lance wasn't clearly done though. He swept over with the rest of Pidge's boxes and that basket from earlier.

"Keith, go get changed. I wanna see if I got the measurements right," Lance said as he handed Pidge some brown knee-high boots with cute little gear accents on the top. A light brown vest with a halter collar was next and a over coat with a long back were handed over next and they were put to the side for later. A headband with a little top hat was put to the side as Lance started to brush their hair.

Keith was still stunned at the beautiful garment in his hands but complied anyway. Shiro watched as Keith disappeared behind the screen and Shiro wondered if Lance knew just how touched Keith really was.

Coran was quick to say that he was going next, so they all waited as Keith changed. Lance got up and snatched a box from Keith's pile, passing it to Keith, "Keith, you forgot the pants," he stated and walked away before Keith could say anything.

"Thank you, Lance," They all quickly chorused.

But Hunk turned to where Lance was and beamed at him, "I love them! So well crafted and the stitching is exquisite," Hunk praised as he rooted through his boxes.

Lance blushed and swatted at Hunk, unaware at the dreamy look that crossed Shiro's face and Keith's snickers as he walked out in the cheongsam and pants. He had brushed Pidges' hair out, applied a minimal amount of gel to accent the curls Pidge had, and rested the hairband in their hair.

"Hush you," Lance playfully scolded as he reached for a box from Keith's pile, "Here's a pair of shoes Keith."

"You make shoes too?" Allura asked as Keith slipped on a pair of functional black flats.

Lance nodded as he took the hairbrush from earlier and started to brush Keith's hair, gently untangling the knots that reformed during the changing process, "Dad knew how to make them, and jewelry as well; it helped him when his PTSD got too bad. He taught me and Nevada when we expressed an interest in the art. Nevada was better at it than me, but I was more creative."

Shiro watched as Keith turned to putty in Lance's hands.

That kid always liked to have his hair brushed.

Coran disappeared behind the screen with two boxes and a giddy look. Whatever he got must be really good.

Once Lance was finished brushing Keith's hair, he set the hairbrush aside, sprayed a small amount of hairspray to preserve the natural wave that Keith had, and pulled a box out of Keith's pile. Lance placed it in his lap with a smile and encouraging nod.

That was enough incentive for Keith to pull the box open to see what was inside and he gaped at the leather gloves rested inside. Keith picked them up and looked at them, marveling at how soft they were.

Lance laughed softly as Coran came out, proudly showing his advisor robes to Pidge and Hunk as Allura slipped behind the screen with her new dress, leaving the accompanying coat to the side for later. Lance smiled widely as Hunk wrestled Pidge into the vest and laughed as they nearly took off Hunk's hands.

Allura slipped into her dress with minimal flair and came out to let the next person in, which so happened to be Shiro. She quickly reached for the coat she had set aside earlier. Shiro took the kimono behind the screen, excited to get into clothing other then the set of clothes he's been living in for who knows how long.

He completely missed Lance's face flush a rich crimson as he disappeared behind the screen.

Keith and Hunk saw this and started to snicker; Hunk was totally aware of the hopelessly adorable crush that Lance had on Shiro. Keith was aware of the slow burn crush that Shiro had on Lance.

Hey; he was socially awkward, not stupid.

But he was getting way too much entertainment out of the whole situation, so he wasn't complaining.

Much.

Shiro came out in the plain black kimono and Keith was _actually_ disappointed at how plain it was.

Right up until Lance approached Shiro with a pale red blush, clutching the box that he had retrieved earlier.

This just got interesting.

"Here Shiro, for you," Lance said, practically shoving the box into his hands.

That pale blush just got redder.

Now everyone was watching the show.

Shiro slowly opened the box. For some odd reason, he felt like something pivotal was about to occur. The notion left his mind when he saw what was in the box.

It was a light grey kimono coat- bordering on white- but the embroidery on it was what stopped Shiro short. A gunmetal Japanese dragon was flying in the middle of the back of the kimono coat, the scales shimmering in the light with how small they were. Bamboo in battleship grey and platinum grey orchids created both a foreground and a background for the dragon.

It was beautiful.

Lance gently picked up the kimono coat and swished it around Shiro's broad shoulders, the grey fabric coming to rest on top of black. Shiro quickly put his arms in the sleeves and Lance pulled the kimono coat forward.

Shiro watched as Lance adjusted the kimono coat slightly so the image on the back was in the center of his back; marveling at how Lance looked every more beautiful up close.

He watched Lance chew his lip as he made sure the measurements were correct.

He watched Lance's sapphire blue eyes danced across Shiro's body as he checked the length of the sleeves and hem.

He watched as Lance's eyelashes fluttered slightly as he looked up at Shiro, hoping the garment was to his liking.

He watched as the pretty blush from earlier turned even darker. Lance looked beautiful in crimson.

He watched, enchanted by the beautiful creature before him.

Lance looked right into his eyes and Shiro felt like he was drowning in those sapphire eyes.

Keith watched the scene in front of him with interest, but he also knew that Shiro was about to pounce on the unsuspecting teen unless he intervened.

"Hey Lance," He called over, Lance turned to look at him and Keith shivered slightly when Shiro sent him the evilest glare he had ever seen.

Zarkon had nothing on Shiro right now.

And that was saying something.

"Yes Keith?" Lance asked, unaware of the nonverbal death threats that Keith was getting.

Keith quietly gulped and asked his question, "How did you get our measurements? You never asked us. Also, where did the fabric come from?"

Everyone but Hunk turned to look at Lance, surprised when the already dangerously red face went even redder.

"Sneak attack hugs."

Everyone blinked at him, but Pidge got it first, "Those random hugs from when we first became Team Voltron?!"

Lance started to rub the back of his head- messing up his bronze locks of hair- and smiled goofily, "I needed a stress relieving project and we needed formal clothing. Win-win. The fabric was from fabric shops in the Space malls we encountered. They apparently have everything a seamstress and tailor will ever desire."

Shiro smiled at Lance softly, amused with the adorable rambling, "Do you make yourself any clothes?"

"Lance," Hunk piped up suddenly, "You did make yourself clothes, right?"

Lance nodded, "I made myself clothes, I'm not stupid."

"Then go get changed," Hunk said

Lance gave a soft laugh and picked up a pair of boxes from a pile that had loopy blue cursive on it. He slipped behind the screen and Shiro moved to his pile of boxes to see what else was in there.

His pile was small to begin with, but he was pleased to find that a pair of waraji and socks were in the boxes. He watched Allura fish out some rather beautiful jewelry and snickered as Pidge toyed with the buttons of the vest. Keith was fiddling with the clasps of the gloves and Coran was tying on his shoes with that grin that had been threatening to break his face since he opened the first box.

Hunk was bouncing in his seat, eyes never straying from the screen where Lance was changing for even a second. Shiro looked at the little Earth clock Pidge had built a while ago and blinked when he realized that Lance had been behind that screen for five minutes.

That is at least two minutes longer than the others had taken to change.

"Lance…" Hunk said slowly, "I'll give you to the count of three before I come back there and drag your ass out."  
Dead silence greeted that statement.

"One."

Silence

"Two."

Pidge and Keith started to snicker as the silence carried on.

"Two and a half."

Allura and Shiro looked at each other with raised eyebrows while Coran looked at the screen with some concern.

"Two and three quarters."

"I look stupid."

Hunk just raised his eyebrow, "Lance, I'm only gonna say this once."

"You always say that," Lance piped up from behind the screen. Now Coran was chuckling and Allura gave a tiny little quirk upwards.

"Hush you," Hunk said, even though his tiny smile gave him away, "As I was saying, you look beautiful in whatever you decide to wear. Now get out here."

Silence greeted his statement but just when Shiro thought that Hunk was gonna go through with his threat when he heard a rustling of fabric.

He looked over in time to see Lance step out and _wow_.

Shiro felt his breath catch.

Lance looked _beautiful_.

The kind of beauty that would make Aphrodite weep.

The Maya blue outfit he was wearing was a combination of a dress and a pantsuit. The sleeves were long and came to a point just below his middle finger, but the collar came off his shoulders, revealing smooth bronze skin. The skirt split in front of both legs, creating a tabard of fabric in between them. This tabard was covered in intricate silver embroidery that looked like ice and if Shiro looked at it right, it actually _glistened_ like ice. An equally intricate silver belt with blue embroidery criss-crossed over his hips, drawing attention to them. The sleeves and the pants clung to his arms and legs, showing off the lithe muscles underneath. His feet were bare but Shiro was willing to bet that shoes were in his pile somewhere.

Shiro could never find all the words to describe just how beautiful Lance looked at that moment.

Ask him in a few hours, after his brain had time to process and immortalize this image for all of time.

Shiro certain noticed the pretty crimson blush that extended past Lance's shoulders and disappeared under his collar.

The silence that filled the room was unsurprising but the fact that Lance looked ready to slip back behind the screen was definitely surprising.

"Um…," He said, looking down at the floor.

Hunk came over, grasped his hand, and lead him back to the couch; where he proceeded to rifle through the boxes. Shiro eagerly came over and helped. He wasn't surprised at how few boxes Lance had; if he counted correctly, Allura and Pidge had the most boxes

"You look beautiful and very practical, I wouldn't have thought of having an outfit like that. You can fight without embarrassing yourself and still look pretty," Allura finally said, "I might have to steal that for another event."

Lance looked up at her, clearly startled at such a positive complement. Keith brought over the basket of hair products and fished the hairbrush from earlier from its wicker depths. He started to brush Lance's hair, marveling yet again at just how soft his hair really was.

He really had to ask Lance about his hair care regimen.

His split ends demanded it.

Don't let them down Keith.

Ahem, back to the matter at hand.

Shiro found a beautiful silver satin- or the Altean equivalent-choker necklace with a beautiful light blue gem and thin silver chains hanging off it. He approached with it just as Lance finally stuttered an answer to Allura's complement, "I-I can make you one in your choice in colour."

Allura looked pleased at that idea and went to help Keith with Lance's hair.

"Spray bottle," Keith stated.

"Spray bottle," Allura said as she sprayed Lance's hair, dampening it with how much she actually sprayed.

Shiro backed off, deciding to wait until those two were done with whatever hairstyle they had planned, and Hunk took advantage of the space. He had a pair of Maya blue and silver boots that had a low heel to them and he handed the left one to Shiro.

Well…

Hunk undid the zipper on the back, gently lifted the right leg slightly, and slipped the right-side boot on. He pulled the boot all the way up to mid-calf and zipped it back up. Shiro gulped slightly and unzipped the boot. He gently lifted Lance's left leg, wincing when Lance let out a faint hiss of pain as his knee moved.

"Gomen," He said as he slipped the boot on and up, zipping it as he went.

"It's alright, Shiro," Lance said, promptly dismissing the minor discomfort, and smiling brightly as the man.

Shiro proceeded to smile softly and melt at Lance's smile.

Keith snickered slightly at the silly expression.

"Gel," Keith said.

"Gel," Allura parroted, passing the bottle to Keith. Keith pulled off his gloves, squirted a small amount into his hands, rubbed them together, and ran it through Lance's hair; slowly coating and coaxing Lance's natural curls into bronze perfection.

"Done?" Allura asked.

"Done, it just needs an accessory," Keith said as Hunk started to look for a hair accessory. Shiro watched as Hunk located an intricate silver and sapphire diadem that looked very similar to the one Galadriel had in the movies.

They all took a minute to admire it then Allura snatched it out of Hunk's hands and settled it on Lance's head. She pulled some of Lance's hair over the beautiful silver diadem, happy at how pretty he looked. Coran smiled at Lance as Hunk checked the boxes for anything else and everyone suppressed a snicker as Hunk pouted when he didn't find anything else.

Shiro picked up the choker from earlier and approached Lance, who was helping Allura with the jewelry she had fished out earlier. Shiro watched as he turned to look at Shiro and he quickly showed Lance the necklace. Lance smiled and beckoned him closer, Shiro eagerly accepting the unspoken invitation. He went behind his back, noticing the low back for the first time, swinging the necklace to the front and letting the thin chains drape over his shoulders. He clasped it together and draped a couple of the chains down his back.

"There," He murmured softly, "You're ready."

"Is everyone else ready?" Lance asked as he turned to look at Shiro. Shiro's words caught in his throat as he saw Lance with the jewelry on. The silver fabric looked like moonlight on his skin and the Maya blue looked like the sky had draped itself on him. The light blue sapphire rested on his forehead and swung hypnotically as he moved.

He looked like a god.

Or was it goddess?

He couldn't decide.

Get back to him when his brain decides to fire on all cylinders.

Right now, it was short circuiting.

"I'm only gonna say this once but your dress looks like Miraj Scintel's," Pidge piped up as they played with the short brown gloves that had the cutest gear buttons ever.

Lance lit up like a Christmas light and he grinned.

Lance, stop grinning.

You're killing Shiro.

Just stop.

Think of the universe!

We need the Black Paladin!

Too late…

He's a puddle of goo.

"Thanks, I know! Her outfit was my inspiration! I thought the Zygerria arc was one of the best in the series," Lance said with unaltered glee and the look of delight was a killer.

Well, it was killing Shiro's heart anyway.

He shot me, he shot me, bang, bang.

Now Shiro was quoting a meme.

Wonderful.

"I found the Umbara arc much better," Pidge argued back as they slipped their glasses back on.

"I think we can agree that any episode involving Padme, Ahsoka, and Riyo is bound to be good," Lance countered, and Pidge conceded the point to him. He wasn't wrong.

"What is a Zygerria and a Padme?" Coran asked. The look of horror that was sent his way by Lance and Pidge while Hunk gave him a pitying look made him suddenly regret asking that question.

"Pidge," Lance said slowly, "Do you have _Star Wars: The Clone Wars_ on your computer?"

"Yep, and all the movies, _Rebel's_ too," They said.

"Good, we are introducing Allura and Coran to the whole franchise."

Coran and Allura decided that they didn't want to know.

Hunk just pitied the poor Alteans.

Although he would be suppling the snacks.

He'd be just as guilty as the other two will be in the whole escapade.

Although at the moment, if Lance turned his kitty eyes on Shiro, he would also help or come watch and where Shiro went, Keith went.

"So, are we going to the party or did we forget about that?" Keith asked after a minute of Lance and Pidge looking at the Alteans in horror and Hunk just had that look of two-parts pity, and one-part guilty. Shiro just had that goofy look on his face.

Keith's words sparked a mad scramble to put on coats, shoes, and other bits and bobs.

They had so forgotten about the party.

/

The Falierans had loved their formal wear.

The elders had hoped they didn't have formal clothes, so the treaty would fall through, but they had underestimated the power of Lance's sewing.

Shiro knew that Allura-and Keith to a smaller degree- would catch their eyes with how they looked. Coran, Hunk, and Pidge had also garnered a certain degree of attention.

They had actually lost Coran in a crowd of advisors to the royal family.

Shiro steered clear of the conversation, he didn't want to know what they were talking about.

But what Shiro hadn't expected was all the _attention_ Lance was getting.

He should have, but he didn't.

Nobles of all kinds flocked to the charismatic Blue Paladin, enjoying his tales of adventure across the universe and of his misadventures on Earth. They seemed to stories about his family in particular.

Just remember that the Falierans were a family orientated race.

Many of the women complemented Lance on his outfit and jewelry while the men all tried to get Lance to dance with them.

Not even Allura was this popular.

Shiro glowered at Lance's latest dance partner as they whirled across the dance floor. His skirt flared out with every twirl and the chain's moved with him as they moved in a slow waltz.

Shiro was _jealous_.

The only reason that Lance wasn't dancing more was because of his knee and his latest partner seemed to realize that Lance was in pain as he managed to twirl the pair off the floor and to a chair.

Shiro approached just as the man bowed at Lance and left.

Apparently Falierans also shared with each other.

It would explain why Lance never had the same partner twice.

"Hey Lance, how's the pain?" He asked as Lance rubbed his knee through the fabric.

Lance looked up with a soft but clearly tired smile, "Honestly, it's manageable for now but I'll be unable to dance if I keep up my pace of random partners."

Every Falieran male in a five feet radius looked over in such shock that Shiro nearly snickered.

"Do you need anything?" Shiro asked, "Water, a snack, pain killers?"

Lance smiled, "The only thing I want is a glass of water. I might have a bite to eat later though."

Shiro lightly snickered as a pair of Falieran's took off in a mad dash to the water bowl to fetch Lance a glass, "I think you're about to get a few dozen glasses shoved in your face."

Lance smiled softly, "The nobles seem to want my attention tonight. I don't know what I did to deserve such attention."

"Well, you and Blue single-handedly stopped an entire Galra battlecruiser from landing on the planet and then proceeded to ice every fighter that even got close to the city. You also protected the Falieran fighter pilots as they fought, you saved the Galran crew- and I still can't figure out how you did that- and you saved the youngest princess of the Falieran people on top of that; all while you had an injured knee," Shiro listed while counting it on his fingers.

He reveled in the pretty crimson blush that painted Lance's face and laughed when Lance swatted at him, "Shiro, I did nothing special."

Every Falieran in that same five feet radius either nearly dropped something in shock or nearly spat their food or drink on their conversation partner.

Shiro watched them for a second, hoping that they won't do something stupid like clamour all over him. Lance is still emotional worn down from the day he broke down, Shiro wasn't sure how Lance would react to having too many people vying for his attention.

You remember the two Falierans that went to get Lance a glass of water?

Well, Shiro didn't.

Just as he was about to refute Lance's statement, they rushed through the silent five feet crowd with a pair of glasses.

Lance startled enough that the crowd also startles and start clamouring for his attention.

Poor Lance looked so overwhelmed that Shiro quickly wove his way through the rabid crowd. He nearly saw red when he saw Lance's terrified face and Shiro was ready to throw punches.

Lance was more important right now.

He managed to get to the poor man and snatched his wrist in his right hand, not even realizing what he did. Shiro managed to drag them both out the mess and made a break for one of the balconies with Lance in tow.

They stumbled to safety and closed the door behind them. Thank Kami-or Dios, whatever language you prefer- that the glass was tinted a rich dark green or else the crowd would have followed them.

"Are you alright Lance?" Shiro panted as he tried to catch his breath.

"I'm fine," Lance replied after taking a couple minutes to catch his breath.

Shiro straighten out first and looked over just in time to look at Lance. The gala had gone on late into the night and the moon rose as a result. The silver light painted Lance's smooth bronze skin, making both pieces of jewelry sparkle in the low light. Shiro's stomach fluttered when he realized that the silver light made Lance's eyes sparkle like the deepest of sapphires

The light also highlighted the flush that was slowly creeping down his neck.

Lance was taking the moment to look over at Shiro as well. He knew he made the right choice in giving him a plain black kimono because the grey over kimono stood out all the more. The grey fabric now looked silver due to the moonlight and Lance swore that it shone with an almost _supernatural_ light. Shiro's white bang also shined as well and the moonlight made his skin a little paler then normal, but his pale pink scar seemed deeper then normal. Lance's stomach fluttered-not knowing that Shiro was having the same reaction-when he noticed that Shiro's brown-black eyes glittered like onyx in the moonlight.

Damn butterflies.

Knock it off.

"So…" Shiro said slowly, breaking the silence with the word, "How's the knee after that little adventure?"

"The knee's okay, sore after knocking into a couple of legs but I'll live," Lance said as he casually leaned forward and rested his crossed arms on the railing of the balcony.

Shiro could feel a breeze in the air and he watched as that same breeze made Lance's skirt and curls flutter. Lance glanced over at Shiro with a small smile on his lips just as wine-red flower petals flew by, some of them grazing Lance's cheeks.

It was anime worthy.

Shiro's mind raced to preserve the image in his memory for all time.

"Shiro?" Lance asked as Shiro moved closer, brushing off the petals that landed in Lance's bronze curls. That crimson flush from earlier comes back in full force, reminding Shiro that Maya blue and silver were not the only colours that looked good on Lance.

"You're beautiful," Shiro murmured softly, still removing petals from Lance's hair.

Lance's flush went even darker as their eyes met.

Lance and Shiro both knew what happened next could change their whole lives.

They really didn't care.

Screw logic, they were pivotal parts of an intergalactic war.

They should just seize the emotions by the horns and go with their gut instinct.

Lance leaned closer, his hands brushing the couple of petals that landed in Shiro's bang.

A slow waltz started to play from inside and Shiro softly grabbed Lance's left hand with his metal one, planted a light kiss on the back of it, and intertwined their fingers together. His other hand came to rest on the small of Lance's back, pulling him closer to Shiro.

Lance rested his right hand on Shiro's left bicep and leaned forward to rest his head on the kimono-clad chest. Shiro pulled him even closer and they started to so a slow shuffle-waltz hybrid across the balcony.

It looked like something out of a high school prom but for the two of them, it was perfect. The flower petals kept fluttering around like butterflies as they moved across the balcony.

Shiro twirled Lance around on occasion, sending the petals flying as the skirt caught them and sent them skyward.

Shiro reveled in the close contact and Lance seemed to as well if the excited look in his eyes were in any indication.

The music flowed around the two like it was softest of magic. The skirt brushed up the petals that had come to rest on the balcony floor.

Nothing was as magical to the dancing duo then this moment was right now.

Lance- sweet, gentle, loving, _impulsive_ , Lance- leaned forward first, arms flopping over broad shoulders and wrist crossing over each other, sapphire eyes glittering with an emotion that Shiro was all too familiar with and had craved during his year with the Galra.

Love.

Soft, light brown lips pressed themselves gently against a rougher, paler set of lips.

Shiro swore fireworks went off in his head.

Really.

The butterflies in Shiro's stomach hit Warp 8 but he didn't care.

He pulled Lance closer, marveling in just how soft his lips were and wondering for a second if Lance could teach him his beauty regimen.

The thought left Shiro's mind as he responded, lips moving against one another.

Shiro tangled his right hand in Lance's hair and his left dragged Lance closer.

Lance tangled his hands in the cloth on Shiro's back.

Nothing could ruin this moment.

Lance- who, mind you, originally started the kiss- pulled back first. Shiro took the moment to admire Lance.

His hair was a mess.

His lips were a swollen red, yet another reminder that any form of red was a good colour on Lance.

His sapphire blue eyes were dilated, and the blue was in the outermost edges of his irises.

Lance's bronze skin had a pretty flush to it. Another reminder of the fact that Lance looked good in red.

These reminders had to stop.

Shiro was starting to think not-so-PG-13 thoughts.

Lance was also taking a moment to admire the man in front of him.

Shiro's clothes were a little ruffled.

His lips were swollen and had turned into a dark pink that Lance thought was irresistible.

His brown-black eyes were also dilated- not that Lance knew that- and the black pupils almost consumed the irises.

Lance giggled slightly at the petals that landed in Shiro's hair and he reached up, wiping the petals off his hair. Shiro reached up as well, picking flower petals out of Lance's hair and diadem.

Then three things happened at once.

The door swung open.

Lance and Shiro looked over in shock, Shiro's hands on Lance's hips.

Every member of Voltron, plus the Royal Family of Faliera pilled onto the balcony and slammed the door shut.

They all took a second to catch their breaths while Lance and Shiro watched them. Keith straightened up first and took in the scene before him. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing, waiting for someone else to say something first.

Hunk also noticed, and he grinned like a shark that had just gotten a fresh fish. Lance leaned back slightly.

He's seen that look before, just after Brooklyn came out as a lesbian. It was the look of someone who was proven right and profited off it.

Many a Garrison cadet had lost money that day.

It was not a pretty sight.

Lance had to save Hunk a few dozen times.

"Hunk, before you say anything," Lance started, "I get a third of the damn pot. I have the feeling that Shiro and I were the basis for the bet, so we get a third."

Hunk laughed, "Okay."

Keith and Pidge glowered at Hunk as they handed over some money. Lance wasn't so surprised with them. But he nearly choked on his own spit when Allura, Coran, the Falieran king, queen, and prince all pulled out some money and handed over to Hunk.

"Hunk," Lance said slowly, "You have a gambling problem."

Hunk shrugged as he counted his money.

He wasn't even denying it.

"But seriously," Hunk said as he started to divide the money up into three piles, "You guys finally got together. Congrats bro."

Lance smiled at Shiro softly, "Yeah, thanks Hunk."

Coran came over with a smile and hugged them both, "Congrats Number three and Number one," Then his normally genteel manners shifted as he hugged Shiro, "If you hurt Lance at all, you can expect a visit from me," He whispered.

Shiro paled, his scar standing out even more. Coran pulled back with a smile and bound back over to Allura. Lance quickly looked at Shiro, concern crossing his features at Shiro's pale face.

"Coran, really?" Lance asked as he glared at Coran with a stern look. Coran chuckled and walked back to the princess with a slightly devious smile.

Everyone feared the devious smile.

Lance tried not to laugh as he intertwined his hand into Shiro's and the excitement on the balcony settled back down while the Falerian Queen peeked back in the hall.

"You all might want to escape over the balcony," She suggested, "The gala has turned into a riot. Apparently, a certain paladin said that 'they did nothing special' when defending Faliera and the noble families are fighting over who adopts them."

Everyone turned to look at Lance, who shamelessly hid behind his new boyfriend.

Huh.

He liked it.

New boyfriend.

Calling Shiro his boyfriend is never gonna get old.

Ever

"Lance," Hunk said, causing Lance to jump a mile into the air, "I know we had a conversation about how special you really are. We have had it before, I know it."

Lance seems to see something they don't because he actually pales, "Hunk… no."

"Hunk yes," Hunk replies drily and seriously, "I am a member of the Protective Order of Coddlers and I will fulfill my duties."  
Lance looked oddly at him for two seconds then started to giggle, burying his face in Shiro's back in an attempt to muffle them. Lance wasn't looking but everyone else could see Hunk's small and victorious smile when Lance had started to giggle.

"We might as well leave, or we'll lose Lance," Pidge said as they walked to the railing of the balcony, "The nobles seemed invested in the idea of keeping him. I think I even heard talk of locking him up somewhere and feeding him candy."

Lance laughed as Coran scrambled down the vines that hung off the tree the gala hall was in to get the shuttle they had arrived in. The Lions were just too big to move safely between the trees of Faliera, but the shuttle was just the right size.

Barely.

Plus, there was no way that Coran was going to let Lance walk to the shuttle with his knee.

He loved the boy too much.

It didn't take Coran long to get the shuttle and fly over to collect the others. Shiro decided to be a bit silly and scooped Lance up bridal-style, laughing as Lance jokingly scolded him for doing it in front of the others, including the Royal Falieran family.

They retreated to the safety of the Castle. There was no way they were going to let the Falieran nobles adopt Lance. They needed him.

The nobles were disappointed that they didn't get the chance to adopt Lance.

But that is a story for his Mama.


End file.
